British Produce

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) chicken,  (b) eggs,  (c) fish and  (d) pork consumed in the United Kingdom which was produced by British farmers in each year between 2000 and 2005.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 23 November 2006
	UK production of poultry meat, eggs and pork as a percentage of total new supply for use in the UK is shown in the following table. Equivalent figures for fish are not readily available.
	
		
			  Table 1: UK Production as a percentage of total new supply for use in the UK 
			  Units: percentage 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Poultry 89 91 91 91 88 90 
			 Eggs 91 89 87 84 85 87 
			 Pork 92 73 73 62 63 62 
			  Source: Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2005, Defra

Recycling

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will provide Shrewsbury borough council with funding to provide extra recycling facilities.

Ben Bradshaw: Under the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant (WPEG), Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council have been awarded £190,897.77 over the three year period from 2005 to 2008; £30,104.64 in 2005-06, £78,533.31 in 2006-07 and £82,259.82 in 2007-08. The WPEG is a targeted grant which aims to help increase recycling and the diversion of waste from landfill. The funding stream will ensure a joined-up approach to delivering additional funding from central government to local authorities for improved recycling and composting services. The WPEG is an un-ring fenced grant—how the funds are managed are the responsibility of each individual authority and no audit on use of the funds will take place.
	A breakdown of funding awarded to the Council since 2002 to help improve recycling performance is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Fund  Award (£)  Scheme description  Start date  End date 
			 National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund (Round 1) 63,900 Collection of paper from schools for recycling 1 April 2002 31 March 2003 
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support 32,585 Shropshire Strategy Review/Increasing Commercial Waste Recycling 1 April 2004 31 March 2005 
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support 29,100 Bulky Waste Collection Study 1 April 2004 31 March 2005 
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support 80,575 Joint MWMS Review and Sustainability Appraisal 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 
			 Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant 30,105 Capital: £16,933.86 Revenue: £13,170.78 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 
		
	
	Decisions on the Grant allocations for 2008-09 and beyond will be considered in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Research Studies

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research studies were commissioned by his Department in each of the last five years where a decision was taken not to publish the results of the research after it was completed.

Ben Bradshaw: Out of a total of 2,272 research projects commissioned during the period 2002-06, 43 reports were withheld from publication. The breakdown of the number not published in each year against the reasons given for non publication are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of reports not published by year and reason between 2002-06 
			  Reason  2002  2003  2004  2005  2005 
			 Sensitive material  1 1 2 1 
			 Contains personal information 3 L3 1 1 2 
			 Contains commercial value 1 1  1  
			 No specific reason given 7 3 6 5 4

Rural Payments Agency

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much was spent  (a) in total and  (b) per head on staff training at the Rural Payments Agency in each year from 2001-02 to 2006-07, broken down by (i) permanent and (ii) agency staff; and what the projected figures are for 2007-08;
	(2)  how many hours of staff training were undertaken  (a) in total and  (b) per head by (i) permanent and (ii) agency staff at the Rural Payments Agency in each year from 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) allocates an equal proportion of training time to both permanent staff and agency workers to meet scheme operational requirements. Training is provided to equip staff with the skills required to perform their duties to meet the RPA's key business targets.
	The following table sets out the average time spent on formal operational training time per head and in total for each financial year:
	
		
			   Hours per head  Total staff trained  Total hours 
			 2001-02 17.5 484 8,470 
			 2002-03 21 250 5,250 
			 2003-04 21 142 2,982 
			 2004-05 35 2,600 91,000 
			 2005-06 35 2,000 70,000 
			 2006-07 15 1,800 27,000 
		
	
	The following table sets out the average costs of formal operational training per head and in total for each financial year:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Total operational training expenditure per head  Total expenditure 
			 2001-02 115 50,820 
			 2002-03 161 37,750 
			 2003-04 178 23,572 
			 2004-05 407 730,600 
			 2005-06 294 582,000 
			 2006-07 132 230,400 
		
	
	New permanent management staff spent an average of 70 hours per head on management related training across the period 2001-02 to 2006-07. 70 permanent middle managers spent an average of 46 hours per head participating in the RPA's Leadership Development Programme between 2003-04 and 2006-07 at a total cost of circa £600,000 and average £8,570 per head.
	In addition to formal training, RPA staff receive varying amounts of training 'at the desk', which as an ongoing process is dependant on individual learning needs and changes in operational requirements. The time spent and expenditure on this informal training cannot be quantified, without incurring disproportionate costs.
	In 2007-08, RPA will make similar financial provision to that spent in 2006-07 on the training of permanent staff and agency temporary workers. Budgetary increases will also be made as required to take account of changes in operational and system requirements that may occur during the period. A project has also been initiated to review the level and adequacy of training for the future delivery of the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). The outcome of this review may result in further increases in the provision and scope of operational training for SPS.

Rural Payments Agency

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the single farm payment for the 2007-08 financial year is paid on time.

Barry Gardiner: The Minister of State (Lords) is working closely with the new management team at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to ensure that the lessons from the 2005 and 2006 scheme years are properly addressed.
	The RPA has implemented a series of initiatives in consultation with key stakeholder groups to simplify and streamline the application process and is targeting those areas that caused problems in the first two years of the scheme.
	In the meantime and in accordance with my right hon. friend the Secretary of State's statement of 7 November the RPA is seeking to make a payment to all those 2006 scheme year claimants due to receive at least €1000 as early as possible in the claim payment window.

Snares

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department will prohibit the use of all snares to trap animals.

Barry Gardiner: The Government consider that, where there is a need for wildlife management, the proper use of snares is one of a range of control methods. Used according to best practice, snares can be an effective and practical means of wildlife management and are needed where other forms of pest control are ineffective or impractical. In these circumstances, snares restrain rather than kill and may prove to be more humane than other methods. If snares were to be banned entirely it may encourage the use of more dangerous and illegal alternatives such as poisons.
	The Government are committed to working to improve the legal use of snares. Following an informal consultation on snares and traps and their use, carried out in 2003, Defra convened an independent snares working group chaired by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. The Group was given a remit of producing a good practice guide and advising Defra on the next steps on improving the use of snares. On 19 October 2005, we published the Group's report, together with the Defra Snares Action Plan and the Defra Code of Good Practice on the use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control in England. These documents are available on the Defra website at:
	http://www.Defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/index.htm

Whitsand Bay

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has applied Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration to the disposal of dredged materials at Whitsand Bay; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what policies his Department operates on the disposal of dredged materials;
	(3)  how many tonnes of dredged material were disposed in and around Whitsand Bay in each year since 1997; how much such material he expects to be disposed of there in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what licences to dispose of dredged material in Whitsand Bay have been issued;
	(5)  if he will make a statement on the disposal of dredged materials in Whitsand Bay;
	(6)  what the origin is of the dredged material for which a licence has been issued for disposal in Whitsand Bay.

Ben Bradshaw: The Rame Head disposal site has received dredged material from the Plymouth area for over 100 years. A disposal licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) is required prior to any disposal taking place. No licence would be issued until the impact of disposing of the material had been fully assessed. The decision would account for Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on the precautionary principle.
	The majority of the dredged material disposed of at Rame Head is sourced from the Devonport Naval Base on the River Tamar. However, Cattewater Harbour and ABP Millbay Docks and Lincombe Boatyard have also used the site. The following tables show the licences issued since 1997 and the amounts disposed of to the disposal site. Further historical information is available on request.
	The weight of evidence currently to hand supports the view that the continued disposal of dredged material to the Rame Head site in Whitsand Bay is an environmentally acceptable one, subject to licence conditions and oversight of the activities.
	
		
			  Table 1: Licences issued for the disposal of dredged material at the Rame Head disposal site 
			  Year issued  Licence Id  DC file reference  Licensee 
			 1997 5040/97/0 5040 Maunsell Maritime 
			 1997 5323/97/0 5323 Defence Estates 
			 1997 5367/97/0 5367 Ministry of Defence 
			 1999 30522/99/0 5423 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
			 1999 30711/99/0 5895 Stride Management Ltd. 
			 2000 30425/00/0 5117 Jacobs Babtie (Exeter) 
			 2000 30711/00/0 5895 Stride Management Ltd. 
			 2000 30820/00/0 5962 Marina Developments Ltd. 
			 2000 31023/00/0 5423 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
			 2001 30425/01/0 5117 Jacobs Babtie (Exeter) 
			 2001 31023/01/0 5423 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
			 2001 31161/01/0 6227 Base Services Department 
			 2001 31381/01/0 6445 Jacobs Babtie (Exeter) 
			 2002 31831/02/0 6656 Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
			 2002 31635/02/0 5423 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
			 2003 31831/03/0 6656 Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
			 2003 31958/03/0 6729 Associated British Ports 
			 2003 32032/03/0 6763 Defence Estates 
			 2003 32243/03/0 5423 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
			 2003 31635/03/0 5423 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
			 2004 31958/04/0 6729 Associated British Ports 
			 2004 32032/04/0 6763 Defence Estates 
			 2004 32323/04/0 6988 Defence Estates 
			 2004 32433/04/0 7066 Westminster Dredging Co. Ltd. 
			 2005 31868/05/0 6676 Winters Marine Ltd. 
			 2005 32433/05/0 7066 Westminster Dredging Co. Ltd. 
			 2006 33271/06/0 7778 Cattewater Harbour Commissioners 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Summary of disposal at Rame Head, giving total tonnages, wet weight 
			   Total disposal 
			 1997 327,364 
			 1998 75,880 
			 1999 64,031 
			 2000 114,859 
			 2001 1,095,071 
			 2002 11,984 
			 2003 94,280 
			 2004 241,704 
			 2005 140,321 
			 2006 (1)— 
			 (1 )None reported.  Source:  Defra Marine Consent Management System (MCMS) and double-checked against the OSPAR disposal returns.

State Opening

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost was of the State Opening of Parliament 2006, broken down by  (a) building maintenance,  (b) extra security expense and  (c) other costs; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The cost of State Opening of Parliament was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Commons  Lords  Total 
			  (a) Maintenance
			 Television lighting 9,000 6,000 15,000 
			 Transportation 9,000 6,000 15,000 
			 Porterage 5,160 3,440 8,600 
			 Carpets 8,100 5,400 13,500 
			 External awning 7,620 5,080 12,700 
			 General Builders 17,580 11,720 29,300 
			 Decorations 5,700 3,800 9,500 
			 Furnishing hire 4,020 2,680 6,700 
			 External furniture removal 10,200 6,800 17,000 
			 Other 7,020 4,680 11,700 
			 Total 83,400 55,600 139,000 
			  (b) Extra Security Expense
			 Security staff overtime 9,660 4,340 14,000 
			  (c) Other
			 Security blockers removal 26,910 17,940 44,850 
			 Uniforms 840 560 1,400 
			 Total 27,750 18,500 46,250 
			  Totals (a), (b) and (c) 119,970 77,880 197,850

Children's Information Sharing Index

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress he has made in developing the proposals for the children's information sharing index; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The information sharing index will aid more effective prevention and early intervention as a tool to support practitioners to improve outcomes for children, and is therefore a key element of the Every Child Matters programme.
	On 8 December 2005, the Government announced their intention to implement a national information sharing index across all 150 local authorities in England by the end of 2008. The Government are committing substantial resources to implement the index—one-off implementation costs will total £224 million over the next three years, and £41 million per year thereafter to cover operating costs, most of which will pay for the additional staff needed to ensure the on-going security, accuracy and audit of the index. My Department has made provision to fund both set-up and operating costs, so that the costs to local authorities will not result in a pressure on the council tax.
	We have now entered the detailed design and pre-deployment phase of the index. To support this, details of the £12 million index local authority funding for 2006-07, were announced in April 2006. In October, a further funding allocation, totalling £29.8 million, was announced, covering the period 2007-08. This funding is being made available to enable local authorities to undertake necessary work in respect of readiness assessment and local pre-deployment work to prepare for the national implementation of the index. We have also developed an implementation toolkit to provide practical support for local authorities during this phase.
	Additional funding of £4.14 million is being provided in the 2007-08 allocation to the first wave of 17 'early adopter' local authorities, based in the North West.
	Earlier this year, we conducted data matching trials under the Information Sharing Index (England) Regulations 2006. The trials were intended to provide an early indication of the expected level of data matching for the full national Index. Samples of basic identifying information were supplied from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Department of Health (DH), the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and nine local authorities. The results were in line with expectations and support the strategy underpinning the index business case of using data from a number of existing national and local sources.
	Currently, we are consulting on draft affirmative resolution regulations to be made under section 12 of the Children Act 2004, which will govern the operation of the index. Consultation closes on 14 December. Subject to the will of Parliament, we expect the regulations to be in force by spring 2007. Also in spring 2007 we will publish for public consultation, statutory guidance, which will support operators and users of the index users in exercising their statutory duties in relation to the index.
	Further milestones are:
	From late spring or early summer of 2007, we will have created initial records for each child in England, drawn from key national data sources;
	The first index release, which will include those initial records, will be deployed to the first wave of early adopter local authorities by the summer of 2007.
	The index will then be rolled out progressively so that, by the end of 2008, it will be available in all local authorities in England.
	There have been some inaccurate and misleading press articles following the publication of the Foundation for Policy Information Research report "Children's Databases—Safety and Privacy". Their findings are based largely on personal views rather than firm evidence and, in some cases, relate to information that is over six months old. The report also contains numerous factual inaccuracies that were either not checked with me or my Department. The information sharing index will contain only the basic details of every child, end details, for example a GP or social worker, who are in contact with them. It will not contain case information or any subjective judgment about a child or their parents. It will not hold information about vaccinations, fruit and vegetable consumption or educational attainment. To say that it can be used to predict the future outcome for a child is nonsense.
	The index is being developed in response to a key recommendation of Lord Laming following his inquiry in to the tragic death of Victoria Climbie. It is being developed in consultation with children's work force practitioners and will enable them to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively by providing them with contact details for other services working with the same child. Security is a key concern and access to the index will be tightly controlled and audited.
	Our over-riding goal is to improve the outcomes for children, young people and families. The information sharing index will be a vital part of delivering early intervention for children who need additional services and effective safeguarding for children at risk of harm.

Runaway Children

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities provide appropriate levels of support for runaway children;
	(2)  if he will assess the merits of introducing centrally controlled provision for runaway children;
	(3)  what support is given to runaway children who are considered as having priority need.

Parmjit Dhanda: This Government are committed to improving outcomes for all children, especially the most vulnerable, for example those children and young people who run away.
	We need to prevent young people from going missing in the first place, and ensure their safe return and safety when they do run away. Most runaways return within 24 hours, but they need effective mediation and resolution for their problems. When a child is missing for longer, it's even more important we have clear support mechanisms, procedures and responsibilities to enable them to be found and returned, safely and speedily, and their problems addressed.
	Our fundamental programme of reform to improve outcomes for children everywhere—"Every Child Matters"—is designed to ensure vulnerable young people receive local services that identify them quickly, give responsive support tailored to their needs, and ensure their safety. It covers early intervention and prevention; integration of education, social care and health services available to at-risk youngsters; information sharing to prevent young people slipping through the net; early assessment of young people's needs, including those relating to broader family issues; joined up support for children and families, through a lead professional.
	This means that children at risk of running away can receive practical local help for all the problems they face, not just the immediate presenting crisis. Local children's services are best placed to identify and engage with at-risk groups more quickly and effectively, where prevention and speed of response is vital. Unfortunately, not all runaways are reported as missing, but when the needs of such vulnerable young people become known to, and assessed as a priority by, a children's social care department, they have a duty to assess and address those needs.
	Nationally, we're working across Departments, with the police, and with other key voluntary bodies. We are working with Barnardo's to summarise and disseminate lessons learned from the six community-based refuge pilot projects we funded recently. We are also working with The Children's Society to find and disseminate good practice across local authorities. We are planning new quality standards for information advice and guidance for young people; greater focus on early intervention and prevention for the whole family; and we are working with the London councils to consider their next steps towards a pan-London strategy for runaways.

Public Transport

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of public transport  (a) journeys and  (b) passenger miles were taken by (i) local bus, (ii) non-local bus and coach, (iii) local train services, (iv) non-local train services, (v) tram, (vi) taxi, (vii) domestic ferry services, (viii) domestic air services and (ix) other modes of transport in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The following table shows data for 2005 on the percentage of public transport  (a) trips (or journeys) and  (b) distance travelled by main mode of transport in Great Britain.
	
		
			  Proportion of public transport trips and distance by main mode in GB: 2005 
			  Percentage 
			   Trips  Distance 
			 Local bus 62 27 
			 Non-local bus and coach 1 7 
			 Surface rail 15 44 
			 Light rail 2 1 
			 LT Underground 7 6 
			 Taxi/minicab 12 6 
			 Air 0 8 
			 Other public 0 0 
			
			 All public transport 100 100 
			  Source:  DfT National Travel Survey

Railways

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on the National Train Passenger Survey in each year since 1997-98; and what funding is planned for the next three financial years.

Tom Harris: The National Passenger Survey was set up in 1999. The following table outlines how much has been spent on the survey in each financial year since then, inclusive of VAT.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Cost 
			 1999-2000 251,475 
			 2000-01 466,768 
			 2001-02 507,515 
			 2002-03 582,840 
			 2003-04 642,396 
			 2004-05 681,192 
			 2005-06 692,215 
		
	
	Future funding for the survey has been agreed up to spring 2007. Work is currently out to tender so we are unable to provide any information on likely costs for the period after March 2007. Annual spend for the year 2006-07 is estimated at £719,800 inclusive of VAT.

Rolling Stock

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail vehicles  (a) were delivered in 2006 and  (b) are due to be delivered in each year to 2012, broken down by manufacturer; and what the total value of rolling stock orders (i) delivered in each year since 1996 and (ii) due to be delivered in each year to 2012 is, broken down by manufacturer.

Tom Harris: Table 1 shows the number of new vehicles introduced into revenue earning service each year, broken down by manufacturer. We do not collate information on actual delivery dates—these typically precede introduction into service by several weeks as testing and commissioning must be completed before vehicles can brought into service.
	The most recent new orders of vehicles are due to be introduced into service in 2008-09. Not included are the orders anticipated but not yet in place for the replacement fleet for the existing HST high speed trains currently planned to enter service from 2012.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of new vehicles introduced into revenue earning service 
			   Bombardier  Alstom  Siemens  CAF/Siemens  Hitachi  Total 
			 1996 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1997 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1998 20 0 0 0 0 20 
			 1999 145 8 0 0 0 153 
			 2000 160 60 0 0 0 220 
			 2001 332 222 0 48 0 602 
			 2002 444 166 0 8 0 618 
			 2003 228 259 172 8 0 667 
			 2004 773 178 409 0 0 1,360 
			 2005 418 12 280 0 0 710 
			 2006 15 0 173 0 0 188 
			 2007 0 0 48 0 0 48 
			 2008 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2009 (1)152 0 0 0 174 326 
			 — 2,687 905 1,082 64 174 4912 
			 (1) TfL have stated that the last unit will be delivered in 2009. 
		
	
	Table 2 (which follows) shows the estimated value of the orders placed for the above vehicles, broken down by manufacturer. The values are listed by year in which the order was placed.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Table 2: Estimated value of new vehicle orders placed 
			   Bombardier  Alstom  Siemens  CAF/Siemens  Hitachi  Total 
			 1996 11 0 0 0 0 11 
			 1997 257 92 0 0 0 349 
			 1998 624 265 0 55 0 944 
			 1999 47 663 0 0 0 710 
			 2000 125 0 0 9 0 134 
			 2001 19 0 679 9 0 707 
			 2002 1,122 0 0 0 0 1,122 
			 2003 163 0 200 0 0 363 
			 2004 0 0 125 0 0 125 
			 2005 7 0 0 0 245 252 
			 2006 165 0 68 0 0 233 
			 — 2,540 1,020 1,072 73 245 4950

Rolling Stock

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age is of the rolling stock of each of the heavy rail franchises; and whether the new contracts include plans to replace old rolling stock.

Tom Harris: The average age of rolling stock is calculated on a quarterly basis. As at 1 October 2006 the average age by franchise is as follows:
	
		
			  Franchise  Average age of rolling stock (years)  Note 
			 c2c 5.5 296 new vehicles introduced, replacing the entire fleet operated by c2c. 
			 Central 13.8 — 
			 Chiltern 11.4 A significant refurbishment of the Class 165 fleet has taken place in the last couple of years. 
			 First Great Western 25.6 As part of the franchise contract FGW are carrying out a major refurbishment to the power cars and coaches of their High Speed Train sets. 
			 Gatwick Express 6.1 This fleet was completely replaced by 64 new Electric Multiple Unit vehicles. 
			 GNER 21.6 The Mark 4 Electric Fleet has recently received a major refurbishment to the interior and branded as the "Mallard". The small number of High Speed Trains are also receiving a major refurbishment to the power cars and coaching stock to enable them to operate until their replacement which is being led by the DfT. 
			 Island Line 68.8 Island Line is a small operator providing local and leisure services between Shanklin and Rye Pier Head on the Isle of Wight. 
			 Midland Mainline 17.2 The Department for Transport is leading the procurement of new vehicles to replace the existing High Speed Train (HST). MML also have 127 newdiesel Meridian trains. 
			 Northern 18.1 — 
			 One 21.6 — 
			 Scotrail 14.5 — 
			 Silverlink 15.1 — 
			 Southern 8.2 742 new vehicles introduced as part of Southern Region upgrade, comprising two thirds of the Southern fleet. 
			 South Eastern Trains 9.0 618 new vehicles introduced as part of Southern Region upgrade, comprising half of the SET fleet. 
			 South West Trains 10.8 785 new vehicles introduced (665 of these as part of Southern Region upgrade), comprising half of the SWT fleet. 
			 First Capital Connect 20.5 — 
			 Transpennine 7.7 TPE are introducing 1 53 new diesel trains capable of operating at 100 mph as part of their franchise agreement. 
			 Virgin Cross Country 4.6 352 new vehicles introduced, replacing the entire Cross Country fleet. 
			 Virgin West Coast 3.1 477 new vehicles introduced, replacing the main West Coast fleet. 
			 Arriva Trains Wales 15.4 — 
		
	
	As at 1 October 2006, the average age of the UK passenger fleet is 13.5 years. It was 20.7 years in 2000, and 22.7 years in 1995.

Telephone Inquiry Lines

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies accrued from national rate telephone lines in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The following revenue was accrued from national rate telephone lines in each of the last five years:
	
		
			Revenue accrued in last five years (£)  Notes 
			 DfT(C)  n/a The Department does not use any national rate numbers 
			 
			 DVLA 2003-04 875,000 Information not available before 2003-04 
			  2004-05 1,945,000  
			  2005-06 2,423,000  
			  2006-07 (1)1,601,000  
			 
			 DSA 2001-02 371 ,000  
			  2002-03 370,000  
			  2003-04 714,000  
			  2004-05 1,463,000  
			  2005-06 833,000  
			 
			 HA 2005-06 1,000 The one revenue-generating line was not set up until March 2005 
			 
			 MCGA — n/a MCGA has no revenue-generating telephone lines 
			 
			 VOSA 2004-05 12,500 Cannot separately identify telephone line revenue before April 2004 
			  2005-06 67,900  
			  2006-07 (2)51,020  
			 
			 VGA — n/a VGA has no revenue-generating lines 
			 
			 GCDA — n/a GCDA has no revenue-generating lines 
			 (1) to October  (2) to end October

Departmental Estate

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest  (a) rateable value and  (b) business rates bill is of each of the buildings occupied (a) in whole and (b) in part by her Department.

Angela Smith: The rateable value and the business rates bill for each building occupied by Community and Local Government in 2006-07 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			Business rates bill for 2006-07 in buildings: 
			  Property  Rateable value for the relevant hereditament in 2006-07  (a) occupied in whole by CLG  (b) part occupied and paid for by CLG 
			 1(st) and 6(th) Floors, Stockley House London(1) 572,500 84,849 — 
			 Eland House London 6,850,000 2,966,050 — 
			 Ashdown House London 4,380,000 — 713,478 
			 Allington Towers London 1,720,000 — 277,200 
			 Part 10(th) Floor, Exchange Tower, London(2) 149,428 64,919 — 
			 Ashdown House Hastings 640,000 — 11,259 
			 Hempstead House Hemel Hempstead 231,000 — 78,351 
			 Building Research Establishment., Garston(3) 1,200,000 — 6,645 
			 1 High St Glossop 6,400 2,771 — 
			 Fire Experimental Unit Moreton-in-Marsh 45,000 19,485 — 
			 Hangar 97 Little Rissington(4) 35,000 20,000 — 
			 Temple Quay House, Bristol 2,250,000 — 20,636 
			 Unit 2, Interlink Park, Bardon, Leicestershire 292,500 100,281 — 
			 Total (excluding Hangar 97 Little Rissington)(3) 18,371,828 3,258,355 1,107,569 
			 Grand total for rates bills — 4,365,924 
			 (1) The 1(st) and 6(th) floors of Stockley House have only been the responsibility of the Department since 1 November 2006. They will be occupied temporarily in 2007 as decant space for the reorganisation of Eland House to full open plan. The rateable value for Stockley House shown is that applicable to the 1(st) and 6(th) floors as they are separately rated in the valuation list. (2) The rateable value for the part 10(th) floor of Exchange Tower is shown as it is separately rated in the valuation list. (3) The Department only occupies building 3 at the Garston site. (4) Rates paid by MOD. 
		
	
	This answer does not include buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments nor does it include those occupied by the Department's Agencies.

Departmental Staff

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff have been employed by her Department in each year since 2002.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government came into being on 5 May 2006.
	Communities and Local Government's predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), was formed on 29 May 2002. The number of full-time equivalent staff in post at the 31 March in each subsequent year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Permanent staff in ODPM: 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2006 
			  As at 31 March each year  Full-time equivalents 
			 2003 2,221 
			 2004 2,336 
			 2005 2,468 
			 2006 2,348

Departmental Staff

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which publications ran advertisements for the position of Director General of Equalities; and what the cost of the advertisements was.

Angela Smith: The position of Director General Equalities was advertised in  The Sunday Times on two occasions at a total cost of £35,038.50. The advertisement also appeared in a  Times supplement on 27 August (Bank Holiday weekend) but at no additional cost to the Department.

Standards Board

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many complaints were referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board against an elected member of an  (a) local authority and  (b) parish council in each year between 2001 and 2006;
	(2)  how many complaints were received by the Standards Board against an elected member of an  (a) local authority and  (b) parish council in each year between 2001 and 2006;
	(3)  how many  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils the Standards Board has not received a complaint against any elected member since 2001;
	(4)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board have taken longer than 12 months to reach a decision;
	(5)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003, (iv) 2004, (v) 2005 and (vi) 2006 are outstanding at the Adjudication Panel after being referred by the Standards Board;
	(6)  how many complaints against an elected member of an  (a) local authority and  (b) parish council in (i) London, (ii) the South East, (iii) the South West, (iv) the Midlands, (v) the North East, (vi) the North West and (vii) Wales have been referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board since 2001;
	(7)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board concerned the failure to declare a (i) non-financial interest and (ii) personal interest in each year between 2001 and 2006;
	(8)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board were upheld in each year between 2001 and 2006;
	(9)  how many complaints have been upheld by the Adjudication Panel after being referred by the Standards Board since 2001;
	(10)  how many complaints have been referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board since 2001;
	(11)  how many complaints have been received by the Standards Board since 2001.

Phil Woolas: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Standards Board to write to my hon. Friend on this matter. I shall arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.
	 Letter from David Prince, dated 28 November 2006:
	Thank you for your recent Parliamentary questions requesting information on the complaints dealt with by the Standards Board for England (the Standards Board) and the Adjudication Panel for England (APE). The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has asked the Standards Board to reply directly to your request. I am copying this reply to her officials.
	The information you have requested has been placed in a table format for ease of reference. The table is on the enclosed sheet. In summary, 91 per cent. of cases referred to them have been upheld by the APE.
	We did not refer any completed investigations for adjudication by the APE until October 2002, since the Code of Conduct was not approved by Parliament until November 2001. You may also note that there were a relatively high number of cases referred to the APE in the financial year 2002-2003. This is because a majority of the first cases referred to the APE were register of interest cases that involved parish councillors who were opposed to the register of interests being imposed halfway through their term of office.
	You will also note from the table of statistics that the APE received and determined fewer cases than the Standards Board referred to it. This is because when the APE receives multiple cases about the same member it will normally consider all the cases at the same time, and therefore consider them as a single case.
	There is also a disparity in each year between the numbers of cases the APE received and the number it determined. This is because the APE will receive cases near the end of a financial year that it will subsequently determine in the following financial year. The normal handling time, allowing for circulation of papers and responses, is around 16 weeks.
	We have been able to provide you with the number of cases referred to the APE by the Standards Board since 2001 by region. However, we do not collate this regional information by each type of authority so I am unable to provide you with this information broken down between parish/town councils and the other remaining local authorities. This is however an area of our statistical analysis that we will look to provide in the future.
	We cannot provide any statistics on complaints relating to local authorities in Wales as, under the "Local Government Act 2000", the Standards Board does not have the power to consider complaints against members of local authorities in Wales. Under the Act the Standards Board only has the power to issue guidance on the Code of Conduct to Welsh police authorities. It is the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales that considers complaints against members of local authorities in Wales, and you would need to contact him direct for any information you require.
	It is interesting to note that an increasing proportion of the complaints we receive are submitted by members of the public. 51 per cent. of the complaints we received in 2003-04 were from the public, rising to 60 per cent. in 2004-05 and rising further to 64 per cent. in 2005-06.
	I hope that this information is helpful. If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-present  Total 
			 Total complaints received by the SBE 2,948 3,566 3,861 3,836 1,996 — 
			
			  Complaints received by authority type   
			 Parish/Town Council 1,630 1,754 1,486 1,543 774 — 
			 All other local authorities 1,318 1,812 2,375 2,293 1,222 — 
			
			 Not referred for investigation 1,689 2,144 2,756 2,842 1,527 — 
			 Not referred for investigation in percentage 56 66 69 72 76 — 
			
			  Cases referred to the APE by the SBE   
			 Parish/Town Councils 90 53 40 48 1 232 
			 Other local authorities 16 33 68 45 4 166 
			 Total 106 86 108 93 5 398 
			
			  Cases received by the APE   
			 London 0 1 10 6 0 17 
			 East of England 10 13 16 10 0 49 
			 South East 32 8 15 11 0 66 
			 South West 16 19 8 13 3 59 
			 Midlands 25 20 20 13 1 79 
			 North East 7 2 8 8 1 26 
			 North West 13 9 5 5 1 33 
			 Total 103 72 82 66 6 329 
			
			  Case upheld by the APE   
			 Parish/Town Councils 29 104 17 39 5 194 
			 Other local authorities 0 21 34 44 11 110 
			 Total 29 125 51 83 16 304 
			
			  Cases not upheld by the APE   
			 Parish/Town Councils 0 4 7 1 0 12 
			 Other local authorities 1 1 2 12 3 19 
			 Total 1 5 9 13 3 31 
			 Overall total 30 130 60 96 19 335

Afghanistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response the Government plans to make to President Musharraf's call in his recent meeting with the Prime Minister for increased UK aid for South Eastern Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: Since 2001, DFID has spent over £390 million on reconstruction and development in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is DFID's fifth largest programme and we are the second largest bilateral donor, spending over £100 million in 2005-06.
	DFID has already increased aid for southern Afghanistan in 2006-07, by committing £20 million to Helmand province, of which £14 million has been spent so far.
	This includes £2 million of DFID money spent on quick impact projects (QIPs). Examples of what that funding has delivered include humanitarian assistance to IDPs and drought victims, permanent vehicle checkpoints to improve security, river bank walls reinforced and flood defences built.
	It also includes £11 million to the government of Afghanistan which is supporting agriculture and rural development (Helmand Agricultural and Rural Development Programme). The first tangible results will be seen in the next few weeks when the first of 200 wells will be dug in and around Lashkar Gah and construction of 49 km of roads begun.
	DFID expect to spend at least £50 million in Helmand over the next three years. Helmand gets more aid than any other province in the south of Afghanistan, according to government of Afghanistan figures. We are in discussion with donor partners on their plans for development assistance in the south of Afghanistan.

Low Carbon Buildings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely demand for grants from the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme for building attached micro wind turbines.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the launch of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase one on 1 April 2006, we have committed £0.4 million to 911 household applications for building integrated wind turbine installations. This is from a total allocation of £1.2 million towards 1,104 wind turbine projects under the household stream.

Post Office Card Accounts

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much is paid to the owners of sub-post offices for each post office card account transaction they carry out; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for Post Office Limited (POL) and I understand Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, has replied direct to the hon. Member as of 7 November 2006.

Renewable Energy

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all renewable energy technologies are supported through the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings programme.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 22 November 2006
	The Low Carbon Buildings programme supports a range of microgeneration technologies through the household stream. Officials met with industry representatives and other key stakeholders on 31 October 2006 to discuss the implications of reducing grant levels for different technologies. These discussions are ongoing.

Local Care Hospitals

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health What criteria are used to assess proposals for local care hospitals.

Ivan Lewis: When developing proposals for community hospitals and services, local NHS authorities are expected to show a clear strategy for the development of primary and community care, including ambitious goals for the shift of resources rooted in the vision and agenda of the White Paper, 'Our health, our care, our say'.
	There are 10 design principles which must be satisfied by any successful bid for this capital.
	These are outlined in detail in 'Our health, our care, our community: investing in community hospitals and services', published by the Department in July.
	The principles will ensure that the investment made will be in high quality services, which patients and the public want and which are sustainable within the local health economy.

Primary Care Trusts (Funding)

Mr. Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether moneys top-sliced from high-performing primary care trusts will be returned in 2007-08.

Patricia Hewitt: Primary care trusts (PCTs) which make a contribution to their strategic health authority (SHA) reserve, will be repaid, normally within the three-year allocation cycle, when organisations currently in deficit start producing surpluses. SHAs have been asked to ensure PCTs with the greatest health need are the first to be repaid.

Maternity/Paediatric Services (Teesdie)

Mr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her decision to refer maternity and paediatric services in Teeside to the independent reconfiguration panel.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State for Health requested the advice of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on 22 September 2006 in relation to referrals from local Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
	The Independent Reconfiguration Panel will report to the Secretary of State for Health no later than 18 December 2006.

Substance Misusers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the costs of drug treatment by GPs for substance misusers.

Caroline Flint: The full costs of drag treatment by GPs have not been estimated.
	For GPs who normally treat less complex clients the cost of the prescribing component of the treatment is currently about £1,000 per patient per episode.
	For GPs who have trained to become addiction specialists and treat more complex clients the cost the prescribing component of treatment is currently about £1,800 per patient per episode.
	These figures do not represent the full annual cost of treating a patient. Treatment for drag misusers is not just about prescribing, it is a package of care planned treatment including the support of a keyworker, other psycho-social interventions and can include supervised consumption of substitute drags. GP's may provide one or more components of a comprehensive package, which involves other providers of specialist treatment.

Surgery Waiting Times (Leicestershire)

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on waiting times for surgery in Leicestershire.

Andy Burnham: The Department of Health has received correspondence from the hon. Member for Blaby and the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham in respect of waiting times for surgery in Leicestershire.
	The number of people waiting 26+ weeks for in-patient treatment (including day cases) in Leicestershire has fallen from 1,786 in June 2002, to 0 in September 2006.

Health Visitors/School Nurses

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) health visitors and  (b) school nurses were employed in England in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the number of health visitors from 2001 to 2005. The number of qualified school nurses were counted for the first time in the 2004 work force census and are also shown in the table. The overall number of nurses working in primary and community care settings—some of whose roles overlap with health visitors—has increased by 37 per cent. since 1997.
	
		
			  Table of health visitors in England, 2001 to 2005 
			  England (headcount) 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Health visitors 13,053 12,774 12,984 13,303 12,818 
			   
			 Qualified school nurses — — — 2,409 2,887 
			  of whom:  
			 Hold a pre registration school nurse qualification — — — 856 943 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical work force census.

Infectious Diseases (Border Control)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people entering the UK from outside the EU were x-rayed at British airports to check for evidence of tuberculosis (TB) in each of the last three years; and what action has been taken with regard to those found to be carrying TB.

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of immigrants who entered the UK from countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis were  (a) medically examined,  (b) x-rayed and  (c) found to have tuberculosis in the last period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: We are currently in the process of implementing our commitment to introduce targeted health screening for tuberculosis (TB) in high-risk countries at the entry clearance stage. In the six countries where we implemented the pre-entry TB screening programme last year on a pilot basis all those applying to come to the United Kingdom for over six months have been screened, using a protocol based on x-rays and sputum smears. From the commencement of pre-entry TB screening in October 2005 until the end of October 2006, 27,807 people were subject to TB screening. Of these, 14 were found to have infectious TB. Applicants with infectious TB are not considered for entry clearance until they have successfully completed a course of treatment.
	My hon. Friend the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality (Liam Byrne) announced on 21 November 2006,  Official Report, column 51WS, the extension of these controls to a further group of countries with a high incidence of TB as defined by the World Health Organization. Until these pre-entry controls are in place Government policy is that all those entering the UK from these countries, and from other countries with a high incidence of TB not covered by the pre-entry screening programme, for over six months should be routinely referred for medical examination for TB.
	The Health Protection Agency reports that the number of people x-rayed at Heathrow and Gatwick airports was 62,301 in 2002-03, 72,510 in 2003-04 and 76,560 in 2004-05. Approximately 100 of the people who were x-rayed in 2004-05 were subsequently found to have TB. Any person thought on the basis of the examination at the port to have TB is referred to the national health service, and those who are subsequently diagnosed with TB are offered treatment.

Ambulances

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many ambulances are available overnight in each health trust area in the Province.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is a regional service. Ambulances therefore cover areas riot defined by trust boundaries
	The number of ambulances available overnight in each health board area across Northern Ireland is as follows :
	
		
			  Board area  Ambulance numbers 
			 EHSSB 18 
			 WHSSB 9 
			 SHSSB 10 
			 NHSSB 11 
		
	
	Overnight is defined by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service as 20.00 hours to 08.00 hours.

Audiology Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what the longest waiting time for a digital hearing aid was in each health trust area in the Province in 2005-06;
	(2)  what the average waiting time for a digital hearing aid is in each health trust area in the Province;
	(3)  how many patients are waiting for a digital hearing aid in each health trust area in the Province.

Paul Goggins: Information on the longest waiting time for a digital hearing aid in each health trust area in 2005-06 is not collected centrally (103431). Information is also not collected centrally on the average waiting time for a digital hearing aid in each health trust in the province (103432). However, information was collected on the number of completed waits for a hearing assessment/re-assessment for the quarter ending 31 March 2006. This is the first quarter for which information has been collected, according to specified time bands for each health and social services board. Waiting time is counted from the date a referral is received by the Audiology Department until the hearing aid is fitted.
	All new patients assessed as requiring a hearing aid are fitted with a digital hearing aid. Analogue aids are normally only issued as replacements to current users of analogue aids for whom a digital hearing aid is unsuitable.
	Waiting list information is collected by time band. It is therefore not possible to calculate the arithmetic mean (average) and longest waiting time for a digital hearing aid. Information in the following table shows the number of patients who were assessed and fitted with a hearing aid during quarter ending 31 March 2006 in each health and social services board by the length of time waited.
	
		
			  Completed waits for digital hearing aids during quarter ending  31 March 2006 
			  HSS board  Less than three months  Three to six months  Six to 12 months  12 months or more  All patients fitted 
			 EHSSB 769 240 114 68 1,191 
			 NHSSB 366 38 0 0 404 
			 SHSSB 161 14 194 219 588 
			 WHSSB 96 259 142 0 497 
			 Northern Ireland 1,392 551 450 287 2,680 
			  Source: Community Information Branch return AUDI 
		
	
	 Number waiting for a digital hearing aid at 31 March 2006:
	Information on the number of patients waiting for a digital hearing aid in each health trust area in the province is not collected centrally(103433). However, information is collected on the number of patients waiting for a hearing assessment/re-assessment at the end of each quarter for each health and social services board in the province. The information in the table above is for quarter ending 31 March 2006, the first quarter for which information is available.
	At 31 March 2006, 2,184 patients were waiting for a hearing assessment/re-assessment in Northern Ireland, 943 in the Southern Board, 837 in the Eastern Board, 340 in the Western Board and 64 in the Northern Board.
	
		
			  Number of patients waiting for a hearing assessment/re-assessment 
			  HSS board  Less than three months  Three to six months  Six to 12 months  12 months or more  Patients waiting 
			 EHSSB 149 208 458 22 837 
			 NHSSB 35 29 0 0 64 
			 SHSSB 286 183 384 90 943 
			 WHSSB 93 0 247 0 340 
			 Northern Ireland 563 420 1,089 112 2,184 
			  Source: Community Information Branch return AUDI

Audiology Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many patients received digital hearing aids in each health trust area in the Province in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many patients received digital hearing aids in each health trust area in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of patients who received digital hearing aids in each health trust area in each of the last 12 months, and in each of the last 10 years is not collected centrally. However, information was collected on the number of patients who received digital hearing aids during the quarter ending 31 March 2006, the first quarter for which information has been collected in each health and social services board.
	
		
			  Number of patients who received digital hearing aids during quarter ending 31 March 2006( 1,2) 
			  HSS Board  Number of digital hearing aids issued 
			 EHSSB 1,116 
			 NHSSB 404 
			 SHSSB 558 
			 WHSSB 497 
			 Northern Ireland 2,575 
			 (1) Figures include information on new and existing clients fitted with a digital hearing aid during quarter ending 31 March 2006.  (2) Figures do not include information on digital hearing aid replacements issued during the quarter to avoid possible double counting.   Source:  Community Information Branch return AUDI.

Bonus Payments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria a civil servant in his Department must fulfil  (a) to be considered for a bonus on top of their regular salary and  (b) to be awarded a bonus.

Paul Goggins: There are three bonus schemes operating within the Northern Ireland Office.
	The special bonus scheme rewards staff in a tangible way for demonstrating effort or achievement in fulfilling short-term exercises or projects and these fall within the range of £50 to £750 staff must be nominated for a bonus and their Director (Grade 3) will decide who is to receive an award and at what level.
	As part off the annual pay round, staff below SCS can be awarded a non-consolidated performance bonus for demonstrating exceptional performance across an entire reporting year and these fall within the range of £650 (at the lowest grade—D2) to £1,400 (it the highest grade— A). Staff must have a nomination form completed by their line manager and endorsed by their countersigning officer. A moderating panel considers all of the recommendations and is able to approve an award up to a ceiling of 15 per cent. of staff at each grade within their Directorate.
	As part of the annual pay round, SCS staff can be awarded a non-consolidated bonus to reward in-year performance in relation to agreed objectives, or short-term personal contribution to wider organisational objectives. The level of funding is decided centrally by Cabinet Office and bonuses are at minimum £3,000 and at maximum 20 per cent. of salary. Staff must have a nomination form completed by their line manager. A Pay Committee considers all the recommendations and decides who should be awarded a bonus.
	These three schemes operate non-consolidated and non pensionable bonus schemes and therefore do not have associated future costs for paybill.

Cancer Treatment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients have  (a) been diagnosed with and  (b) died from prostate cancer in the Province in each of the last 20 years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The table below details information on the incidence of prostate cancer (ICD-10C61) in Northern Ireland since 1993. Information is not available prior to 1993.
	
		
			  Table 1: Prostate cancer incidence in Northern Ireland, 1993-2004 
			   Number 
			 1993 474 
			 1994 484 
			 1995 511 
			 1996 456 
			 1997 491 
			 1998 497 
			 1999 494 
			 2000 576 
			 2001 554 
			 2002 652 
			 2003 739 
			 2004 757 
			  Notes:  1. Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland for a particular period.  2. Incidence of prostate cancer are identified using version 10 of the international classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD10). The code for prostate cancer is C61. 
		
	
	This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and is the most up-to-date currently available.
	 (b) Table 2 gives the number of deaths due to prostate cancer registered in Northern Ireland over the last 20 years.
	
		
			  Table 2: Deaths in Northern Ireland due to prostate cancer( 1) 
			  Registration year  Number 
			 1986 126 
			 1987 163 
			 1988 159 
			 1989 159 
			 1990 195 
			 1991 175 
			 1992 201 
			 1993 182 
			 1994 209 
			 1995 216 
			 1996 211 
			 1997 208 
			 1998 220 
			 1999 195 
			 2000 213 
			 2001 214 
			 2002 193 
			 2003 217 
			 2004 241 
			 2005(2) 222 
			 (1 )International Classification of Diseases. Tenth Revision codes C61 for years 2001-2005 and Ninth Revision code 185 for years 1986-2000.  (2 )Provisional.

George Bruce Kelso

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many NHS patients George Bruce Kelso had on his list when he was struck off.

Paul Goggins: Central Services Agency records indicate that Mr. Kelso had the following numbers of patients registered across three practice addresses:
	
		
			   Number of patients 
			 2001 2,869 patients registered (Portaferry(1) 24 patients; Greyabbey 1,063 patients; Newtownards 1,782) 
			 2002 2,729 patients registered (Greyabbey 997; Newtownards 1,732) 
			 2003 3,718 patients registered (Greyabbey 882; Newtownards 2,836) 
			 2004 2,576 patients registered (Greyabbey 763; Newtownards 1,813) 
			 2005 2,308 patients registered (Greyabbey 688; Newtownards 1,620) 
			 (1) Portaferry practice closed in January 2001

Homelessness

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people  (a) applied and  (b) were subsequently accepted as homeless in each of the Housing Executive district offices in Northern Ireland in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005.

David Hanson: The information for the financial years 2004-06 and 2005-06 is as follows:
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			  Housing Executive District  Presented  Awarded FDA( 1)  Presented  Awarded FDA( 1) 
			 Belfast1 377 177 524 284 
			 Belfast2 700 344 869 430 
			 Belfast3 416 204 539 229 
			 Belfast4 474 251 569 278 
			 Belfast5 288 164 465 251 
			 Belfast6 760 440 940 512 
			 Belfast7 558 363 810 512 
			 Housing Advice Centre 1,092 400 1,063 389 
			 Bangor 774 401 846 423 
			 Newtownards 638 384 611 395 
			 Castlereagh 556 312 617 338 
			 Lisburn 916 456 1,201 533 
			 Lisburn (Dairyfarm) 359 162 535 280 
			 Downpatrick 519 296 533 286 
			 Banbridge 343 134 445 156 
			 Newry 675 354 825 418 
			 Armagh 154 111 207 121 
			 Brownlow 349 122 424 136 
			 Portadown 369 120 326 114 
			 Dungannon 538 200 555 274 
			 Fermanagh 543 219 581 260 
			 Ballymena 754 369 1,014 487 
			 Antrim 522 256 652 324 
			 Newtownabbey1 387 157 431 202 
			 Newtownabbey2 422 212 571 252 
			 Carrickfergus 480 179 472 180 
			 Larne 314 160 314 134 
			 Moyle 72 45 92 58 
			 Ballymoney 214 111 273 155 
			 Coleraine 748 290 753 269 
			 Waterloo Place 488 222 464 244 
			 Waterside 284 181 280 191 
			 Collon Terrace 335 219 400 237 
			 Limavady 248 122 266 112 
			 Magherafelt 194 129 180 91 
			 Strabane 207 99 145 85 
			 Omagh 171 41 203 44 
			 Cookstown 124 64 126 65 
			 Northern Ireland 17,362 8,470 20,121 9,749 
			 (1) A full duty applicant is someone who is homeless, in priority need (i.e. people with families, young persons at risk of sexual or financial exploitation, single parents and other vulnerable members of society) and not intentionally homeless.

Northern Ireland Executive (Tenant Debt)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average amount of outstanding debt owed by  (a) tenants and  (b) past tenants of the Northern Ireland Executive was at the end of 2005, broken down by district council.

David Hanson: The information is not available in the form requested. The following table details current and past tenants' debt by Housing Executive District Office at financial year end March 2006. The figures include housing benefit overpayments raised before April 2004 as well as rent and rates arrears. It is not possible to separate out these figures.
	
		
			  Current and past tenants debt at 31 March 2006 
			  £ 
			   Average tenant debt  Average past tenant debt 
			 Belfast 1 1,381 966 
			 Belfast 2 1,190 936 
			 Belfast 3 1,268 1,101 
			 Belfast 4 1,246 958 
			 Belfast 5 1,325 783 
			 Belfast 6 1,979 1,324 
			 Belfast 7 739 690 
			 Belfast Area 1,255 924 
			 Bangor 1,218 1,105 
			 N'ards 989 658 
			 Castlereagh 1,006 900 
			 Lisburn 1,120 809 
			 Lisburn 3 1,250 857 
			 D'patrick 1,158 965 
			 S East Area 1,102 845 
			 Banbridge 1,075 458 
			 Newry 1,064 785 
			 Armagh 1,001 707 
			 Lurgan/B'low 1,050 511 
			 P'down 1,159 1,126 
			 Dungannon 1,318 885 
			 Fermanagh 1,088 488 
			 South Area 1,103 682 
			 B'mena 845 594 
			 Antrim 860 397 
			 N'abbey 1 847 597 
			 N'abbey 2 923 729 
			 Carrick 838 674 
			 Larne 805 613 
			 B'castle 865 536 
			 B'money 793 481 
			 Coleraine 891 725 
			 N East Area 857 628 
			 W'loo Place 834 392 
			 Waterside 1,408 1,200 
			 Coll Terr 1,573 664 
			 Limavady 1,196 813 
			 M'felt 1,106 522 
			 Strabane 1,251 1,099 
			 Omagh 987 771 
			 Cookstown 1,339 362 
			 West Area 1,220 820 
			 NI total 1,114 800

Physiotherapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people graduated in Northern Ireland in physiotherapy in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these  (a) are and  (b) are not employed in full-time permanent physiotherapy posts in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The number of physiotherapy student who graduated in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years is presented as follows:
	
		
			  The number of Physiotherapy Graduates from 1996 to 2006 
			   Number of graduates 
			 2005-06 72 
			 2004-05 58 
			 2003-04 63 
			 2002-03 61 
			 2001-02 58 
			 2000-01 61 
			 1999-2000 56 
			 1998-99 66 
			 1997-98 68 
			 1996-97 62 
			  Source:  University of Ulster 
		
	
	The number of physiotherapy entrants into permanent and temporary posts within the HPSS in Northern Ireland is presented in the following table. The Department is unable to distinguish if these posts were filled by newly qualified graduates as the data is not held in this format. The Department is unable to supply information relating to private sector employment.
	
		
			  Junior Grade Physiotherapy Joiners to the NI HPSS by Mode of Employment between March 1996 and March 2006 (Headcount figures) 
			  As at March:  Permanent  Temporary  Total 
			 2005-06 34 35 69 
			 2004-05 43 18 61 
			 2003-04 45 25 70 
			 2002-03 35 26 61 
			 2001-02 40 13 53 
			 2000-01 31 07 38 
			 1999-2000 36 14 50 
			 1998-99 29 14 43 
			 1997-98 25 20 45 
			 1996-97 30 13 43 
			  Notes: Joiners figures may include: new graduates, staff transferring from private sector, staff from other countries, or staff returning after a period of unpaid leave.  Source:  Human Resources Management System

School Transport

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much each education and library board in the Province spent on home-to-school transport in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The Education and Library Boards have indicated that they incurred the following expenditure from 1996-97 (excluding FE colleges):
	
		
			   BELB  NEELB  SEELB  SELB  WELB  TOTAL 
			 1996-97 2,634,902 9,573,072 9,707,674 10,935,054 8,075,316 40,926,018 
			 1997-98 3,440,081 10,107,590 10,099,923 11,493,357 9,775,748 44,916,699 
			 1998-99 3,450,599 10,580,044 10,336,052 12,473,025 9,342,257 46,181,977 
			 1999-2000 (1)— 45,635,000 
			 2000-01 3,176,375 11,614,839 10,112,226 12,944,502 9,871,818 47,719,760 
			 2001-02 4,088,222 12,252,325 10,952,195 13,479,490 10,863,615 51,635,847 
			 2000-03 4,017,000 14,152,000 11,877,000 14,841,000 12,316,614 57,203,614 
			 2000-04 4,606,000 15,255,000 12,873,308 15,216,000 11,652,219 59,602,527 
			 2004-05 4,425,000 16,806,000 13,285,000 16,367,000 13,166,564 64,049,564 
			 2005-06 4,735,475 16,507,000 13,244,799 16,334,000 13,870,963 64,692,237 
			 (1) Detailed breakdown not available   Note:  It should be noted that the figures prior to 2001-02 are on a cash basis and thereafter on an accruals accounting system.

Schools (Suspensions/Expulsions)

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many pupils were  (a) suspended and  (b) expelled for (i) violent behaviour and (ii) drug-related incidents in Northern Ireland schools in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many illegal drug-related incidents occurred in schools in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The Department does not hold information on the reasons for suspension and expulsion for each of the last 10 years. Nor does it collect specific data on drugs but statistics are available for the number of suspensions from schools for possessing, using or dealing in illegal drugs or solvents on school premises.
	From the 2002-03 school year, statistics on the reasons for suspensions have been gathered annually and relate to the number of individual suspensions not to the number of pupils suspended. With regard to violent behaviour, the Department collects statistics on the number of suspensions relating to physical attacks on staff, illustrated in the following table. In 2002-03, data on substance abuse were combined with data on alcohol abuse, however from 2003-04 substance abuse was identified separately.
	
		
			  Table 1: Suspensions 
			  2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 
			 Physical attacks on staff 365 320 262 
			 Substance abuse (1)426 421 286 
			 (1) Includes alcohol abuse 
		
	
	The reasons for expulsion were first collected in 2003-04. The Department collects statistics on the number of expulsions relating to physical attacks on staff. Again, specific data for drugs were not collected, however there are statistics available for suspensions for possessing, using or dealing illegal drugs and solvents on school premises. In 2003-04, data on substance abuse were combined with data on alcohol abuse, however in 2004-05 substance abuse was identified separately.
	
		
			  Table 2: Expulsions 
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			 Physical attacks on staff 7 7 
			 Substance abuse (1)14 10 
			 (1) Includes alcohol abuse. 
		
	
	Each year, data on suspensions and expulsions requested from the Education and Library Boards have become more comprehensive and, from the 2002-03 school year the Department has been publishing this information on its website, www.deni.gov.uk.

Tarlov Cyst

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many operations for Tarlov cysts have been performed in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available.

Tarlov Cyst

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients from Northern Ireland have been referred for surgery for a Tarlov cyst to England in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available.

Tarlov Cyst

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of patients in the Province diagnosed with a Tarlov cyst.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available.

Departmental Pay Awards

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the annual pay award for departmental staff has been implemented in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The Senior Civil Service (SCS) have a separate pay award to the rest of the DWP staff. The following table shows the month in which each group received their pay award each year. Salary is actually paid on the last working day of the month.
	
		
			   AA to Grade 6  SCS 
			 2002 November 2002 July 2002 
			 2003 Stage 1 award—November 2003 Stage 2 award—May 2004; July 2003 
			 2004 Interim payment—November 2004, Full award—March 2005 July 2004 
			 2005 July 2005 July 2005 
			 2006 July 2006 Stage 1—July 2006 Stage 2—November 2006 
			  Note: The effective date for DWP pay awards are the 1 April for SCS and 1 July for all other grades.

Post Office Card Account

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress in developing a successor to the Post Office Card Account.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 23 November 2006
	We are still talking to Post Office Ltd. about the range of accounts that can be accessed at post offices, both now and in the future.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, will make a statement on the future of the post office network before the end of the year. This will include information on accounts which can be used at post office branches.

Legislative Programme

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a written ministerial statement on the Application of the Government's Legislative Programme to Wales setting out the significant measures of relevance to Wales and their likely impact.

Peter Hain: A Welsh grand debate on the UK legislative programme has been arranged for 13 December 2006 where there will be opportunity to discuss the Government's legislative proposals and implications for Wales.

Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been paid by the UK Government to the Government in Afghanistan in each of the last four years; and what the purpose was of each such payment.

Kim Howells: Based on the Development Aid Committee aid categories of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the following table details the non-military funds committed to Afghanistan over the past four years by the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Global Conflict Prevention Pool. 70 per cent. of this UK assistance to Afghanistan is channelled through the line ministries of the Afghan government.
	
		
			   million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Social-administrative infrastructure 
			 Water supply and sanitation   3   
			 Government and civil society 26 100.1 108.8 60 78 
			  Economic infrastructure 
			 Communication   0.5 0.5 0.5 
			 Business and private sector  0.3 1 0.55 1 
			  Production 
			 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 0.3 6.3 7.8 46 30 
			 Industry, mining and construction   0.6 1 1 
			 Trade and tourism0.005  
			  Other 
			 Counter-narcotics  1.6 10 48.6 51 
			 Environmental protection2.41 2 
			 Women in development -   0.8 0.7 
			 Debt relief 12.7 
			 Emergency assistance 44.5 10 3   
			 Total 83.5 118.3 134.7 159.87 164.2

African Union (Peacekeeping Forces)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Nigeria Government on  (a) renewal of the mandate to provide peacekeepers to the African Union (AU) in Darfur and  (b) whether the UN should pay a per diem amount for each soldier deployed by the AU.

Geoff Hoon: We engage regularly with Nigeria on matters relating to the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS), most recently at a high level meeting on the future of AMIS held in Addis Ababa on 16 November. That meeting, which was chaired by Kofi Annan and Alpha Oumar Konare and attended by the permanent members of the UN Security Council and key African states, agreed on the way forward for AMIS, on the clear understanding that its mandate would need to be renewed. As part of this, it agreed on the need for UN funding of the force. Once finalised, this financial arrangement should enable the AU to pay per diems to AMIS troops on a more regular basis. There are no current plans for the UN to pay per diems directly to AU soldiers.

Cuba

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of  (a) the compatibility of the policies of the US Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba with Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations and  (b) the impact of those policies on states acting in accordance with them.

Kim Howells: The Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba consists of senior US politicians and consideration of its recommendations is a matter for the US government. UK/EU policy on Cuba continues to differ to that of the US. Whilst US policy continues to favour sanctions against Cuba, the UK is committed to the 1996 EU Common Position which seeks constructive engagement and dialogue with both government and civil society in Cuba.

Iran

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Iranian authorities on Iran's use of the death penalty; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have serious concerns about the continued use of the death penalty in Iran. According to international non-governmental organisations, in 2005 Iran was second only to China in terms of total number of executions carried out and Iran was the only country known to have executed those under the age of 18. We are particularly concerned that basic standards surrounding the application of capital punishment are absent in Iran and that death sentences are often carried out in public. The execution of minors is in clear contravention of Iran's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
	We make frequent representations to the Iranian authorities about the use of the death penalty. On 5 May, the EU presidency in Tehran issued a statement expressing its
	serious concern about the general increase in executions in Iran.
	On 29 May, the EU raised specific concerns about the use of the juvenile death penalty. On 20 November, the EU presidency raised our concerns about the imminent execution of 10 men in Ahwaz, and reiterated the EU's longstanding objection to the .death penalty in all circumstances.
	We also raise our concerns about the death penalty in international fora. On 18 October, the EU presidency made a statement on human rights at the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, which highlighted Iran as one of the few countries where minors are sentenced to death and executed. All EU member states sponsored a draft resolution on human rights in Iran at this year's UN General Assembly expressing serious concern at
	the continuing of public executions, including multiple public executions, and, on a large scale, other executions in the absence of respect for internationally recognized safeguards
	and
	in particular, deplores the execution of persons who were under the age of 18 at the time their offence was committed.
	The draft resolution was approved by the Third Committee on 21 November, and will be considered by the General Assembly Plenary in December.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the recent proposal from Spain, France and Italy for a peace initiative by the EU on the Israel/Palestine question; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are keen to make progress towards a lasting and just peace in Israel and the occupied territories. My right. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made advancing the middle east peace process a UK priority. We are discussing the ideas put forward at Gerona with international partners.

Syria

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the Prime Minister's bilateral talks with President Baglar Assad of Syria in 2002; what the objectives are of the visit of Sir Nigel Scheinwald to President Assad; and what agreements with Syria she is proposing.

Kim Howells: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at the conclusion of President Bashar Al Asad's visit to the UK in 2002,
	there are obviously going to be differences between us and we condemn totally anybody who is engaged in terrorist activity of any sort at all wherever in the world. I do however believe that it is important to engage with Syria because Syria is going to be an important part of building a peaceful and stable future in the Middle East, and no matter what the level of our disagreement, it is still important that we continue that dialogue.
	My right. hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, visited Damascus on 30 October 2006. Our message to Syria was that it has a strategic choice to make. The UK hopes it will choose the constructive role in the region that it can undoubtedly play.

Arts Council

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administration costs of the Arts Council England were in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) staff costs and  (b) non-staff costs.

David Lammy: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Staff administration costs 
			   Total () 
			 1996-97 5,621,000 
			 1997-98 8,510,000 
			 1998-99 10,250,000 
			 1999-2000 8,693,000 
			 2000-01 9,432,000 
			 2001-02 21,900,000 
			 2002-03 24,804,000 
			 2003-04 25,703,000 
			 2004-05 31,271,000 
			 2005-06 35,282,000 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Non staff administration costs 
			   Total () 
			 1996-97 17,239,000 
			 1997-98 19,844,000 
			 1998-99 18,196,000 
			 1999-2000 19,720,000 
			 2000-01 19,288,000 
			 2001-02 20,457,000 
			 2002-03 22,592,000 
			 2003-04 21,958,000 
			 2004-05 20,481,000 
			 2005-06 23,383,000 
		
	
	The rises in 2001-02 reflect the merger of the 10 regional arts boards into a single organisation.

Television Licences

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioner households in the wards of  (a) Aylestone,  (b) Castle,  (c) Freemen,  (d) Eyres Monsell,  (e) Stoneygate,  (f) Spinney Hills and  (g) Knighton in Leicester have received a free television licence.

Shaun Woodward: TV Licensing administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC. They are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Leicester South constituency in 2005-06 was 4,740, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.

Departmental Appointments

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) independent consultants have been employed by his Department in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Information on the number of civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence is published annually in UK Defence Statistics, table 2.1, copies of which can be found from the following web page:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/natstatsindex.html
	The full series follows, and is based on the definitions of civilian workforce introduced from April 2004, details of which are also available from the web page.
	
		
			  Thousand: full-time equivalent 
			  As at April  Civil servants  Locally engaged civilians  Total 
			 1997 117.5 15.9 133.3 
			 1998 111.1 15.2 126.3 
			 1999 108.1 14.9 123.0 
			 2000 106.4 14.8 121.3 
			 2001 104.8 13.3 118.2 
			 2002 96.0 14.1 110.1 
			 2003 93.7 13.8 107.6 
			 2004 93.6 15.4 109.0 
			 2005 92.8 15.7 108.5 
			 2006 88.8 15.1 103.9 
			  Notes: 1. Full time equivalence (FTE) counts part time staff by the number of hours they work as a proportion of their full time conditioned hours. 2. Locally engaged civilians (LEG) includes manual workers employed overseas. 3. LEG are not classified as UK civil servants. 4. Because of rounding, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. 
		
	
	Specific data on the number of consultants employed is not held centrally within the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Territorial Service

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what additional budget has been given to HQ Land to enable the uplift of support staff for the restructuring and re-balancing of the Territorial Army (TA) as a result of Future Army Strategy (TA), broken down by  (a) year and  (b) arm;
	(2)  why the original budget allocated by HQ Land to recruit non-regular permanent staff and civilian staff as a result of the Future Army Strategy (TA) has been put back from 2006-07 to 2008-09;
	(3)  what additional posts have been identified to enable the restructuring and re-balancing of the Territorial Army (TA) as a result of the Future Army Strategy (TA), broken down by  (a) arm and  (b) unit.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 20 November 2006
	The Additional posts identified to enable the restructuring and re-balancing of the Territorial Army (TA) as a result of the Future Army Strategy (TA) broken down by Arm are shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Arm/Service  NRPS total pre all FAS changes  NRPS total post all FAS changes  Change 
			 RAC 79 74 -5 
			 RA 137 118 -19 
			 RE 72 112 +40 
			 R SIGNALS 187 195 +8 
			 INF 231 221 -10 
			 AAC 21 31 +10 
			 AMS 144 162 +18 
			 REME 58 68 +10 
			 AGC(RMP) 10 15 +5 
			 INT 23 30 +7 
			 RLC 178 257 +79 
			 E2 (Any Arm/Service) 14 50 +36 
			 Total 1,154 1,333 +179 
		
	
	I am placing the information on additional posts broken down by unit in the Library of the House.
	HQ LAND received no additional funding to enable the uplift of support staff for the restructuring and re-balancing of the TA as a result of Future Army Strategy (TA). Existing resources have been re-profiled to pay for these posts.
	The decision was made to delay the implementation of TA rebalancing in certain Arms and Services, which meant that the recruitment of non-regular Permanent Staff and civilian staff for these units was not required as soon as was anticipated. The budget allocated by HQ to the recruitment of these posts has therefore been moved from 2006-07 to 2007-08.

Alcohol Sales (Young People)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for selling alcohol to children and young people under the age of 18 years in the Cambridgeshire Constabulary area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform show that since 1997 there has been one prosecution in 2004 for selling alcohol to children and young people under the age of 18 years in the Cambridgeshire police force area.
	The offence of sale of alcohol to a person aged under 18 was added to the PND scheme on 1 November 2004. Data for 2004 and 2005, and provisional data from January to June 2006, are provided in the table.
	The Home Office is seeking to eliminate underage sales, by working in partnership with alcohol retailers to develop good practice, and through enforcement by means of regular test purchase campaigns. In October 2006 the Home Office funded a national intelligence-led test purchase campaign, to monitor the extent to which good practice has been taken on board by premises that are known to have sold alcohol to minors. As a result of this latest campaign, 42 premises are currently subject to a licence review by their local authority, which could result in their licence conditions being changed.
	
		
			  Number of people issued with Penalty Notices for Disorder for sale of alcohol to a minor, in Cambridgeshire police force area, 2004 to June 2006( 1,2,3) 
			   Number issued 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 11 
			 2006(4) (January to June) 9 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) January to June 2006 is provisional. (3) Offence added to the PND scheme on 1 November 2004. (4) Provisional.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 3 October 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. N. Iftikhar.

John Reid: My hon. Friend for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) wrote on 21 November 2006.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 3 October 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms F. Brown.

John Reid: My hon. Friend for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) wrote on 20 November 2006.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 3 October 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Zoobi Zaidi.

John Reid: My hon. Friend for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) wrote on 20 November 2006.

Crime and Disorder Partnerships

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much funding each Crime and Disorder Partnership in Yorkshire and the Humber received from  (a) the Government,  (b) local authorities and  (c) other sources in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much funding each local authority in Yorkshire and the Humber has granted to Crime and Disorder Partnerships in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Home Office allocations made to all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in Yorkshire and The Humber since 2002-03 are set out in the tables.
	Since 2005-06, the Building Safer Communities Fund and the Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinators Grant have formed part of the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund.
	This is a pooled budget with contributions from the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	These figures exclude any funding allocated to CDRPs that has been targeted at certain areas, such as the Street Crime Initiative and the Tackling Violent Crime Programme, and any discretionary allocations made by the Regional Director. This data is not held centrally or would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on any funding granted to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships by local authorities or received from local authorities and other sources is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Home Office contribution to the safer stronger communities fund England 2006-07 
			   Government Office or Yorkshire and HumberGovernment allocations to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships 2002-03 
			 Safer Communities Initiative and Communities Against Drugs Funding (predecessors of Building Safer Communities Fund)
			  Region  Top Tier Authority  CDRPs included in Top Tier  Revenue  Capital  Total Revenue payable  Total Capital payable  Total payable 
			 YH Barnsley  272,224  272,224  272,224 
			 YH Bradford  677,269  677,269  677,269 
			 YH Calderdale  282,513  282,513  282,513 
			 YH Kingston upon Hull  526,328  526,328  526,328 
			 YH Doncaster  361,265  361,265  361,265 
			 YH North Yorkshire Craven 57,584  57,584  57,584 
			 YH  Hambleton 84,155  84,155  84,155 
			 YH  Harrogate 130,352  130,352  130,352 
			 YH  Richmondshire 68,240  68,240  68,240 
			 YH  Ryedale 62,371  62,371  62,371 
			 YH  Scarborough 121,401  121,401  121,401 
			 YH  Selby 84,087  84,087  84,087 
			 YH Kirklees  521,286  521,286  521,286 
			 YH Leeds  1,269,478  1,269,478  1,269,478 
			 YH NE Lincolnshire  267,610  267,610  267,610 
			 YH Rotherham  288,381  288,381  288,381 
			 YH Sheffield  685,090  685,090  685,090 
			 YH Wakefield  378,712  378,712  378,712 
			 YH East Riding  264,120  264,120  264,120 
			 YH North Lincolnshire  183,353  183,353  183,353 
			 YH York  217,837  217,837  217,837

Crime Statistics

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many muggings were  (a) reported and  (b) detected in each London borough in each of the last three years; and how many prosecutions were successful in each case.

Tony McNulty: Information is not available in the form requested. 'Mugging' is not a legal term and in terms of the recorded crime statistics such offences are generally recorded under the 'Robbery of personal property' classification. Offences recorded and detected in each Basic Command Unit in the Metropolitan Police area are given in table 1.
	Court proceedings data does not distinguish between offences of robbery of personal or business property. Information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants proceeded at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for robbery in Greater London, by court area, in 2003-05, is provided in table 2.
	Since recorded crime deals with offences and court proceedings data is based on offenders, the two sets of data are not directly comparable.
	
		
			  Table 1: offences of robbery of personal property recorded and detected in the metropolitan police service area 
			  Number of offences 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Basic command unit  Recorded  Detected  Recorded  Detected  Recorded  Detected 
			 Barking and Dagenham 698 76 661 82 695 116 
			 Barnet 995 132 1,132 138 1,131 108 
			 Bexley 323 45 373 35 421 77 
			 Brent 1,734 .116 2,015 144 2,247 312 
			 Bromley 750 67 657 92 816 138 
			 Camden 1,244 164 1,277 79 1,212 138 
			 City of Westminster 1,345 245 1,439 262 1,518 274 
			 Croydon 1,595 187 1,418 184 1,711 196 
			 Ealing 1,395 199 1,476 127 1,886 164 
			 Enfield 1,106 139 1,064 149 1,354 182 
			 Greenwich 953 166 1,096 141 1,145 125 
			 Hackney 2,306 164 1,854 248 1,778 228 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,095 111 1,340 100 1,244 110 
			 Haringey 1,775 204 1,365 127 1,919 281 
			 Harrow 591 40 669 100 828 178 
			 Havering 437 53 351 49 393 50 
			 Heathrow 5 0 5 0 7 0 
			 Hillingdon 456 77 542 59 784 83 
			 Hounslow 758 93 664 96 783 149 
			 Islington 1,274 274 1,161 271 1,307 313 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 768 69 761 79 876 85 
			 Kingston upon Thames 262 49 238 12 316 85 
			 Lambeth 3,146 240 2,922 225 2,759 321 
			 Lewisham 1,769 237 1,684 221 2,161 226 
			 Merton 528 99 419 58 587 100 
			 Newham 2,038 193 1,765 182 2,310 222 
			 Redbridge 1,098 127 1,168 126 1,249 152 
			 Richmond upon Thames 231 23 344 32 424 74 
			 Southwark 2,085 273 2,277 265 2,791 456 
			 Sutton 314 83 203 45 387 62 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,446 144 1,346 113 1,604 194 
			 Waltham Forest 1,539 149 1,714 119 2,273 210 
			 Wandsworth 1,417 176 1,407 120 1,565 156 
			 Total 37,476 4,414 36,807 4,080 42,481 5,565 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for robbery in Greater London, by court area 2003-05( 1,2) 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			  London court area  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Inner London court areas   
			 Bow Street 67 45 79 33 44 19 
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge 547 229 545 294 635 272 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 132 50 165 76 153 60 
			 Highbury Corner 191 97 195 76 193 66 
			 Horseferry Road 165 61 117 61 144 64 
			 Marylebone   1
			 South Western 291 132 269 152 284 151 
			 Thames 444 177 438 200 433 161 
			 West London 336 132 284 128 263 114 
			 Inner London Juvenile Courts   
			
			  Other London court areas   
			 Barking and Dagenham 48 26 60 45 78 33 
			 Barnet 108 54 129 66 97 54 
			 Bexley 17 8 39 17 46 22 
			 Brent 116 84 138 78 181 93 
			 Bromley 80 50 77 34 95 60 
			 Croydon 166 74 144 88 146 91 
			 Ealing 178 83 113 72 115 63 
			 Enfield 142 48 97 61 144 69 
			 Haringey 167 80 105 59 136 78 
			 Harrow 37 19 43 25 68 35 
			 Havering 60 27 42 29 47 22 
			 Hillingdon 90 23 62 29 55 38 
			 Hounslow 52 33 84 42 73 41 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 48 22 25 14 49 20 
			 Merton 73 39 82 57 67 41 
			 Newham 206 92 246 113 187 120 
			 Redbridge 69 43 99 46 124 61 
			 Richmond upon Thames 28 18 35 24 44 26 
			 Sutton 42 23 57 31 36 25 
			 Waltham Forest 146 59 104 65 110 47 
			 Total metropolitan police 4,046 1,828 3,874 2,015 4,047 1,946 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Departmental Expenditure

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on electricity in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07 to date.

John Reid: The following table shows expenditure on electricity for the financial year 2004-05. Data for 2005-06 will be published shortly on the Sustainable Development Commission website. The spend to date for 2006-07 is not yet available.
	
		
			  2004-05 
			
			 Home Office(1) (excluding prisons) 3,360,523 
			 Public sector prisons 16,267,718 
			 Total 19,628,241 
			 (1) These figures relate to key buildings only.

DNA Database

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have their DNA profile stored on the National DNA Database; and what proportion of these people are from each ethnic minority background.

Joan Ryan: The information requested is shown in the table which gives a breakdown of the number of Subject Sample DNA Profiles on the National DNA Database by ethnic appearance for all forces.
	
		
			  Number of subject sample DNA Profiles on the National DNA Database for all forcesby ethnic appearance of subject 
			  Ethnic appearance  Total subject profile count  Individuals count using 11 per cent. replication rate  Percentage breakdown 
			 Unknown 443,633 394,833 10.44 
			 Afro-Caribbean 302,225 268,980 7.11 
			 Arab 27,681 24,636 0.65 
			 Asian 197,122 175439 4.64 
			 Dark Skinned European 75,967 67,611 1.79 
			 Oriental 20,838 18,546 0.49 
			 White Skinned European 3,183,272 2833112 74.89 
			 Total subject profile count for all forces 4,250,738 3,783,157  
			  Notes: 1. The data covers forces in England and Wales, Scottish forces, the Police Service for Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, the Ministry of Defence Police etc. 2. The figures given in column 2 are the number of DNA subject sample profiles held on the Database as at 20 November 2006. This is due to samples being taken from some individuals on more than one occasion (i.e. due to replicate sampling). It is estimated that the current level of replication is about 11 per cent. 3. The figures given in column 3 are the estimated number of individuals on the National DNA Database. 4. It should be noted that no data on ethnic appearance is recorded for approx 10 per cent. of samples.

DNA Database

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many misclassifications have resulted from the use of the DNA database.

Joan Ryan: There are no false or inaccurate records on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) that we are aware of. The NDNAD's Supplier Accreditation section carries out continuous quality monitoring of forensic suppliers. Data may become available which indicates that a DNA profile is incorrect but attributed to the right person (i.e. there has been an error in deriving the profile number stored on the NDNAD from the biological sample); or that a DNA profile is correct but attributed to the wrong person (i.e. the samples and personal details have somehow been switched). If we have reason to believe there is inaccuracy in any record, that record is suspended on the Database pending an investigationthe outcome of which is that the record may be reinstated unchanged, or amended, or deleted.

DNA Database

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of maintaining the DNA database has been in each year of its operation.

Tony McNulty: The following table gives the costs, over the years 2002-03 to 2005-06, for the two key areas of National DNA Database (NDNAD) activity: NDNAD Services and Supplier Accreditation. NDNAD Services activity is concerned with the day to day operation of the NDNAD, for example loading DNA profiles, delivery of match reports, and handling of inquiries (principally from police forces and forensic suppliers). The costs also include maintenance of the NDNAD IT system as well as business support, including accommodation. Supplier Accreditation activity is concerned with the accreditation of the forensic supplier laboratories that analyse police DNA submissions, and thus supply DNA profiles to the NDNAD.
	This accreditation involves scrutinising prospective new suppliers to the Database as well as continuous quality monitoring of existing suppliers. Data is not available for years before 2002-03, as in the past the costs of the NDNAD were tightly bound in with other costs incurred by the Forensic Science Service. The process of clearly drawing out these costs was fully resolved as part of the process of separating the NDNAD custodian from the FSS, which was completed in December 2005, when the FSS was vested as a Government owned company and the NDNAD transferred from the FSS to the Home Office. These figures do not include payments made to police forces under the DNA expansion programme which ran from 2000 to 2005, to enable them to retrieve more samples from scenes of crime and to take samples from more individuals.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 NDNAD Services costs 774,304 904,385 1,276,823 1,245,151 
			 Supplier Accreditation costs 320,507 388,047 433,828 459,192 
			 Total 1,094,811 1,292,432 1,710,651 1,704,343

Dr. David Wynn-Williams

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations were conducted by the police into the death of Dr. David Wynn-Williams on 24 March 2002; and whether anyone was  (a) arrested and  (b) prosecuted in connection with his death.

Tony McNulty: I understand that following the death of Dr. Wynn-Williams Cambridgeshire Constabulary undertook an investigation. As a result of which the Crown Prosecution Service determined that a prosecution was appropriate and the driver of one of the vehicles involved was summonsed for causing death by dangerous driving and driving without due care and attention. The person concerned was convicted of driving without due care and attention and fined 1,000, disqualified from driving for two years and required to re-sit the driving test.

Fireworks

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) each London borough for (i) letting off or throwing fireworks in any highway, street or thoroughfare or public place, (ii) possession of adult fireworks in a public place by those aged under the age of 18 years, (iii) possession of a category 4 firework and (iv) breaching the curfew time for the use of fireworks in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The penalty notice for disorder (PND) scheme was rolled out to all police forces in England and Wales during the 2003-04 financial year, under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Under the scheme, the police are able to issue penalty notices to offenders for a range of minor disorder offences including a number of fireworks offences, some of which did not become part of the scheme until October 2004. No admission of guilt is required and the PND recipient discharges all liability for the offence and receives no criminal record if the penalty is paid.
	Data on the number of PNDs issued in the Metropolitan police force area as well as England and Wales for the years 2004, 2005 and provisional data from January to June 2006, are provided in the following table. Data are only available broken down by police force and therefore a London borough breakdown is not available.
	
		
			  Number of PNDs issued to offenders aged 16 and over for fireworks offences Metropolitan police force area, 2004, 2005 and 2006 January-June provisional data( 1,2) 
			  Police force area  DA05 Throwing fireworks  DA13 Breach of fireworks curfew( 2)  DA14 Possession of category 4 firework( 2)  DA15 Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework( 2) 
			  Metropolitan police 
			 2004 25  1  
			 2005 78 1  1 
			 2006(3) 25 1 1 1 
			  England and Wales 
			 2004 177 12 12 20 
			 2005 642 33 13 47 
			 2006(3) 232 11 6 3 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (2 )Became offences within the PND scheme on 11 October 2004.  (3 )January to June provisional.  Source:  RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform.

Fixed Penalty Notices/Disorder Notices

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what types of  (a) fixed penalty notices and  (b) notices for disorder have been issued in the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Information on fixed penalty notices issued for endorsable and non-endorsable motoring offences by offence groups can be found in the annual Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables'Tables 20(a) to 20(c) refer. Copies are available in the Library. They can also be accessed on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics website at
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/motor1.html
	Data are also collected centrally on the disposal, (i.e. paid, fine registration certificate issued etc) of fixed penalty notices issued. However because of the time taken for the procedures for payment to be enforced the data are collected approximately nine months later than the period of issue.
	Tables 21 (a) and 21 (b) of the above publication details data by number and percentage of fixed penalty notices by result for the previous year.
	Data on the number of pnds issued in 2004, 2005 and provisional data for 2006, broken down by police force area and offence, are placed in the House Libraries.
	Data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for environmental offences are available via the below link on the DEFRA website.
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/legislation/fpn/

Heavy Vehicle Recovery

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rules apply to the administration of heavy vehicle recovery schemes where local police constabularies make arrangements to recover lorries at the roadside.

Tony McNulty: Police powers to arrange for the removal or recovery of vehicles are provided for by Section 99 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and associated regulations The regulations also set the charges which the police can levy for removals which they order. A vehicle has to be released once the prescribed charge has been paid.
	The removal and recovery of vehicles including heavy vehicles such as lorries is an important routine activity for all police forces. They normally use contracted recovery operators to act on their behalf. Police contracts require operators to provide a guaranteed speedy response, to have specialist equipment, secure storage facilities and an efficient administration department. The detailed arrangements between individual police forces and vehicle recovery operators is a contractual matter between the parties involved.

Identity Cards/Passports

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which Government departments and agencies biometric records held by his Department are shared.

Joan Ryan: Biometric records held by the Home Office are shared with the following outside departments and agencies:
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	UK Visas
	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
	Department for Work and Pension
	Biometric records are also shared with police forces and other UK law enforcement agencies. It is also made available to forensic service providers acting on behalf of these forces and law enforcement agencies.

Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether those granted residence under the 2005 Spanish immigration amnesty qualify as EEA nationals under the Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006.

Liam Byrne: The UK Government understand that the Spanish government's regularisation exercise granted a one year's residence permit to immigrants who met the specified criteria, and not Spanish nationality. These were internal Spanish decisions and nationals of countries outside the European economic area (EEA) who have the right to reside in EEA countries, such as Spain, do not have a treaty right of free movement. They do not qualify as EEA nationals under the Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006.

Operation Safeguard

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on holding prisoners in police cells under Operation Safeguard in each police force area since the operation began.

Tony McNulty: The National Offender Management Service has agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers that police forces can submit invoices up to 12 weeks in arrears during the period that Operation Safeguard is activated and three months from the end of the operation. We have not yet received any invoices as yet and are therefore unable to calculate the exact total cost per police force.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the arrangements are for the payment of pensions to people who retire early through ill-health for each pension scheme for which his Department is responsible; what the incidence of ill-health retirement was as a percentage of all retirement for such schemes in each year since 1988-89; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the rate of ill-health retirement is for each public sector pension scheme for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: A police authority may medically retire an officer if he or she is assessed by a medical practitioner selected by the authority to be permanently disabled for the ordinary duties of a member of the force. An officer who is a contributing member of either the Police Pension Scheme 1987 or the Police Pension Scheme 2006 and who has two years' qualifying service at the time of retirement will receive an ill-health pension which is index-linked and payable immediately.
	The ill-health pension under the Police Pension Scheme 1987, to which most officers belong, is based on the pension rights the officer has accrued up to retirement, but where the officer has at least five years' pensionable service the pension will be enhanced to compensate at least in part for the additional service he or she was unable to go on to complete.
	The Police Pension Scheme 2006, which applies to those who have joined the police service on or after 6 April this year, provides two levels of ill-health pension: a standard ill-health pension which is not enhanced and is payable to those who are permanently disabled for the ordinary duties of a member of the force but who can undertake other regular employment, and an enhanced top-up pension, which is payable in addition to the standard pension where the officer is also assessed as permanently disabled for all regular employment.
	Information about the rate of ill-health retirement for police officers is not available in the form requested for all the years that the hon. Member has asked for. A table follows with information from 1990-91 to 2004-05. From 2001-02 the rate of ill-health retirement has not been recorded as a percentage of the number of retirements but as a proportion of the number of officers in service, expressed in terms of ill-health retirements per 1,000 officers. This is a more stable measure since the number of ordinary retirements is liable to change from year to year. The figures show a very clear downward trend which started in the mid 1990sfrom 2,587 ill-health retirements in 1994-95 to 405 in 2004-05. The rate of reduction has been given added impetus following the Police Negotiating Board Agreement of 2002 which resulted in the issue of joint guidance to forces in 2003 on the better management of ill-health. The effective management of ill-health continues to be a priority for the police service. Improvements in sickness management and rehabilitation and better incentives for making appropriate use of ill health retirement (e.g. by introducing more than one tier of ill-health benefits) have been a key part of public service reform.
	
		
			  Police officer medical retirements (FTE) 
			   Percentage of medical retirements of all retirements  Number of medical retirements per 1,000 officers in service 
			 1990-91 62  
			 1991-92 62  
			 1992-93 60  
			 1993-94 53  
			 1994-95 53  
			 1995-96 46  
			 1996-97 45  
			 1997-98 38  
			 1998-99 39  
			 1999-2000 31  
			 2000-01 31 9.8 
			 2001-02  8.8 
			 2002-03  6.2 
			 2003-04  3 
			 2004-05  3 
			  Notes: 1. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Police

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) civilian police staff there were in each police authority area in each of the last 10 years; and what the percentage change was (i) in each year and (ii) over the 10 year period in each category.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 20 November 2006
	The available data are contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Police officer strength( 1 ) (FTE)( 2 ) by police force as at 31 March 1996 to 31 March 2006 
			  Police force  1996  % change over previous year  1997( 3)  % change over previous year  1998  % change over previous year  1999  % change over previous year 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,981  2,989 0.26 2,976 -0.43 2,999 0.79 
			 Bedfordshire 1,128  1,094 -3.02 1,079 -1.38 1,041 -3.45 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,238  1,302 5.16 1,291 -0.82 1,274 -1.31 
			 Cheshire 1,998  2,046 2.38 2,042 -0.18 2,071 1.41 
			 Cleveland 1,420  1,459 2.74 1,483 1.66 1,416 -4.58 
			 Cumbria 1,115  1,144 2.56 1,164 1.75 1,126 -3.22 
			 Derbyshire 1,763  1,791 1.56 1,772 -1.03 1,759 -0.76 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,899  2,865 -1.19 2,962 3.39 2,887 -2.52 
			 Dorset 1,263  1,284 1.66 1,310 2.02 1,279 -2.36 
			 Durham 1,401  1,461 4.25 1,515 3.72 1,568 3.50 
			 Essex 2,884  2,961 2.65 2,928 -1.09 2,891 -1.30 
			 Gloucestershire 1,133  1,133 -0.01 1,104 -2.53 1,104 0.02 
			 Greater Manchester 6,938  6,922 -0.24 6,949 0.39 6,810 -2.00 
			 Hampshire 3,347  3,452 3.12 3,490 1.10 3,473 -0.46 
			 Hertfordshire 1,712  1,759 2.75 1,740 -1.09 1,724 -0.93 
			 Humberside 2,041  2,045 0.19 2,021 -1.16 1,974 -2.32 
			 Kent 3,120  3,260 4.49 3,251 -0.28 3,201 -1.54 
			 Lancashire 3,171  3,248 2.43 3,257 0.28 3,245 -0.38 
			 Leicestershire 1,908  1,949 2.12 1,983 1.76 1,993 0.51 
			 Lincolnshire 1,145  1,196 4.53 1,191 -0.45 1,140 -4.32 
			 London, City of 869  859 -1.21 825 -3.96 778 -5.68 
			 Merseyside 4,411  4,230 -4.09 4,216 -0.33 4,211 -0.13 
			 Metropolitan Police 27,343  26,677 -2.43 26,094 -2.19 26,073 -0.08 
			 Norfolk 1,401  1,432 2.19 1,430 -0.14 1,381 -3.37 
			 Northamptonshire 1,153  1,177 2.08 1,169 -0.70 1,137 -2.71 
			 Northumbria 3,668  3,677 0.25 3,769 2.49 3,840 1.89 
			 North Yorkshire 1,324  1,338 1.06 1,367 2.18 1,337 -2.21 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,318  2,323 0.24 2,323 -0.03 2,225 -4.22 
			 South Yorkshire 3,073  3,159 2.78 3,182 0.74 3,168 -0.44 
			 Staffordshire 2,209  2,211 0.10 2,292 3.66 2,238 -2.38 
			 Suffolk 1,138  1,174 3.19 1,186 1.01 1,190 0.37 
			 Surrey 1,644  1,620 -1.48 1,608 -0.69 1,662 3.32 
			 Sussex 3,074  3,085 0.37 2,996 -2.89 2,847 -4.97 
			 Thames Valley 3,674  3,695 0.57 3,776 2.18 3,748 -0.73 
			 Warwickshire 979  926 -5.43 924 -0.19 908 -1.77 
			 West Mercia 2,017  2,040 1.16 2,010 -1.50 2,025 0.75 
			 West Midlands 7,145  7,113 -0.45 7,156 0.60 7,321 2.31 
			 West Yorkshire 5,142  5,209 1.30 5,155 -1.04 4,982 -3.35 
			 Wiltshire 1,219  1,154 -5.31 1,156 0.18 1,151 -0.46 
			 Dyfed-Powys 991  1,005 1.36 1,002 -0.22 1,026 2.39 
			 Gwent 1,044  1,243 19.12 1,233 -0.82 1,247 1.16 
			 North Wales 1,378  1,369 -0.65 1,396 1.97 1,391 -0.36 
			 South Wales 3,027  2,976 -1.69 2,986 0.35 2,981 -0.16 
			 Total England and Wales 124,844  125,051 0.17 124,756 -0.24 123,841 -0.73 
		
	
	
		
			  Police force  2000  % change over previous year  2001( 4)  % change over previous year  2002  % change over previous year  2003  % change over previous year 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,934 -2.18 2,994 2.04 3,096 3.41 3,149 1.71 
			 Bedfordshire 1,028 -1.25 1,036 0.71 1,069 3.23 1,106 3.46 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,237 -2.95 1,296 4.81 1,362 5.07 1,384 1.62 
			 Cheshire 2,011 -2.89 2,002 -0.42 2,059 2.82 2,119 2.91 
			 Cleveland 1,404 -0.85 1,407 0.23 1,461 3.86 1,582 8.28 
			 Cumbria 1,084 -3.73 1,048 -3.37 1,100 5.01 1,140 3.64 
			 Derbyshire 1,777 1.04 1,823 2.59 1,848 1.38 2,003 8.39 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,841 -1.59 2,934 3.28 3,053 4.04 3,202 4.88 
			 Dorset 1,306 2.10 1,354 3.68 1,381 1.99 1,416 2.53 
			 Durham 1,558 -0.64 1,595 2.37 1,614 1.21 1,651 2.29 
			 Essex 2,806 -2.94 2,897 3.24 2,946 1.70 2,989 1.46 
			 Gloucestershire 1,114 0.91 1,173 5.27 1,183 0.87 1,227 3.72 
			 Greater Manchester 6,795 -0.23 6,909 1.69 7,217 4.45 7,343 1.75 
			 Hampshire 3,419 -1.56 3,438 0.54 3,480 1.23 3,668 5.40 
			 Hertfordshire 1,767 2.49 1,922 8.81 1,825 -5.06 1,957 7.23 
			 Humberside 1,932 -2.15 1,917 -0.77 2,058 7.35 2,105 2.28 
			 Kent 3,204 0.10 3,319 3.57 3,355 1.10 3,487 3.93 
			 Lancashire 3,179 -2.04 3,255 2.40 3,304 1.51 3,339 1.06 
			 Leicestershire 1,993 0.01 2,032 1.96 2,100 3.32 2,114 0.67 
			 Lincolnshire 1,115 -2.15 1,202 7.85 1,198 -0.37 1,221 1.92 
			 London, City of 732 -5.98 703 -3.90 764 8.68 808 5.76 
			 Merseyside 4,085 -3.00 4,081 -0.08 4,125 1.07 4,099 -0.63 
			 Metropolitan Police 25,485 -2.26 24,878 -2.38 26,223 5.40 27,984 6.72 
			 Norfolk 1,381 -0.01 1,420 2.80 1,468 3.39 1,499 2.11 
			 Northamptonshire 1,117 -1.76 1,157 3.58 1,214 4.93 1,210 -0.33 
			 Northumbria 3,788 -1.35 3,857 1.82 3,929 1.87 3,943 0.36 
			 North Yorkshire 1,283 -4.04 1,305 1.71 1,417 8.58 1,444 1.91 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,204 -0.92 2,275 3.21 2,330 2.42 2,411 3.48 
			 South Yorkshire 3,163 -0.17 3,197 1.07 3,199 0.08 3,183 -0.50 
			 Staffordshire 2,170 -3.04 2,129 -1.90 2,133 0.21 2,202 3.23 
			 Suffolk 1,145 -3.76 1,133 -1.12 1,203 6.21 1,253 4.16 
			 Surrey 1,785 7.42 2,066 15.72 1,992 -3.57 1,906 -4.32 
			 Sussex 2,822 -0.86 2,855 1.16 2,893 1.32 2,989 3.32 
			 Thames Valley 3,740 -0.20 3,703 -1.00 3,762 1.59 3,833 1.89 
			 Warwickshire 900 -0.90 926 2.99 969 4.59 997 2.89 
			 West Mercia 1,887 -6.81 1,951 3.39 2,018 3.45 2,256 11.79 
			 West Midlands 7,194 -1.72 7,423 3.18 7,681 3.47 7,751 0.91 
			 West Yorkshire 4,822 -3.20 4,815 -0.15 4,889 1.53 5,029 2.86 
			 Wiltshire 1,118 -2.88 1,120 0.24 1,157 3.26 1,158 0.09 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,040 1.30 1,055 1.43 1,132 7.35 1,149 1.50 
			 Gwent 1,264 1.33 1,274 0.85 1,333 4.60 1,341 0.60 
			 North Wales 1,403 0.86 1,444 2.92 1,506 4.29 1,539 2.19 
			 South Wales 2,926 -1.86 3,154 7.81 3,222 2.14 3,239 0.53 
			 Total England and Wales 121,956 -1.52 123,476 1.25 127,267 3.07 131,426 3.27 
		
	
	
		
			  Police force  2004  % change over previous year  2005  % change over previous year  2006  % change over previous year  % overall change 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,401 8.00 3,384 -0.50 3,389 0.15 13.69 
			 Bedfordshire 1,181 6.78 1,215 2.88 1,198 -1.40 6.23 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,400 1.16 1,402 0.14 1,430 2.00 15.50 
			 Cheshire 2,177 2.74 2,186 0.41 2,174 -0.55 8.81 
			 Cleveland 1,687 6.64 1,676 -0.65 1,677 0.06 18.07 
			 Cumbria 1,222 7.19 1,232 0.82 1,230 -0.16 10.31 
			 Derbyshire 2,070 3.34 2,070 0.00 2,046 -1.16 16.05 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,283 2.53 3,369 2.62 3,493 3.68 20.49 
			 Dorset 1,433 1.20 1,450 1.19 1,485 2.41 17.58 
			 Durham 1,685 2.06 1,718 1.96 1,699 -1.11 21.27 
			 Essex 3,098 3.65 3,190 2.97 3,279 2.79 13.68 
			 Gloucestershire 1,284 4.65 1,291 0.55 1,289 -0.15 13.80 
			 Greater Manchester 8,042 9.52 8,041 -0.01 7,959 -1.02 14.72 
			 Hampshire 3,706 1.04 3,725 0.51 3,707 -0.48 10.75 
			 Hertfordshire 2,086 6.59 2,104 0.86 2,126 1.05 24.18 
			 Humberside 2,213 5.13 2,230 0.77 2,224 -0.27 8.97 
			 Kent 3,576 2.55 3,586 0.28 3,599 0.36 15.35 
			 Lancashire 3,550 6.32 3,551 0.03 3,583 0.90 12.99 
			 Leicestershire 2,277 7.71 2,283 0.26 2,250 -1.45 17.91 
			 Lincolnshire 1,228 0.57 1,221 -0.57 1,213 -0.66 5.98 
			 London, City of 853 5.57 876 2.70 869 -0.80 -0.06 
			 Merseyside 4,122 0.56 4,317 4.73 4,269 -1.11 -3.22 
			 Metropolitan Police 29,735 6.26 30,710 3.28 30,536 -0.57 11.68 
			 Norfolk 1,510 0.73 1,544 2.25 1,557 0.84 11.14 
			 Northamptonshire 1,239 2.40 1,267 2.26 1,317 3.95 14.22 
			 Northumbria 4,040 2.46 4,048 0.20 3,983 -1.61 8.59 
			 North Yorkshire 1,529 5.89 1,543 0.92 1,636 6.03 23.56 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,484 3.03 2,502 0.72 2,477 -1.00 6.87 
			 South Yorkshire 3,279 3.02 3,265 -0.43 3,255 -0.31 5.92 
			 Staffordshire 2,266 2.91 2,280 0.62 2,272 -0.35 2.86 
			 Suffolk 1,304 4.07 1,313 0.69 1,300 -0.99 14.26 
			 Surrey 1,913 0.37 1,915 0.10 1,922 0.37 16.92 
			 Sussex 3,039 1.67 3,044 0.16 3,092 1.58 0.60 
			 Thames Valley 4,034 5.24 4,114 1.98 4,229 2.80 15.11 
			 Warwickshire 1,008 1.10 1,011 0.30 1,032 2.08 5.41 
			 West Mercia 2,355 4.39 2,367 0.51 2,351 -0.68 16.57 
			 West Midlands 7,887 1.75 8,056 2.14 8,097 0.51 13.32 
			 West Yorkshire 5,275 4.89 5,631 6.75 5,644 0.23 9.76 
			 Wiltshire 1,217 5.09 1,222 0.41 1,219 -0.25 0.00 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,160 0.96 1,174 1.21 1,182 0.68 19.27 
			 Gwent 1,372 2.31 1,438 4.81 1,467 2.02 40.58 
			 North Wales 1,603 4.16 1,652 3.06 1,617 -2.12 17.34 
			 South Wales 3,279 1.23 3,281 0.06 3,263 -0.55 7.80 
			 Total England and Wales 137,105 4.32 139,495 1.74 139,633 0.10 11.85 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there my be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 1996 transferred resources for the policing of the Rhmney Valley from South Wales Police to Gwent Police. (4) Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan Police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police staff strength( 1 ) (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March 1996 to 31 March 2006 
			  Police force  1996  % change over previous year  1997( 3)  % change over previous year  1998  % change over previous year  1999( 4)  % change over previous year 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,213  1,438 18.57 1,393 -3.18 1,424 2.28 
			 Bedfordshire 472  484 2.58 523 7.92 483 -7.58 
			 Cambridgeshire 530  607 14.53 574 -5.44 586 2.16 
			 Cheshire 690  735 6.62 781 6.21 785 0.52 
			 Cleveland 553  609 10.14 586 -3.77 552 -5.80 
			 Cumbria 408  451 10.66 451 0.04 442 -2.11 
			 Derbyshire 656  723 10.30 787 8.85 818 3.94 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,121  1,159 3.43 1,186 2.29 1,215 2.45 
			 Dorset 621  615 -0.92 651 5.95 702 7.80 
			 Durham 531  583 9.90 557 -4.55 559 0.36 
			 Essex 1,130  1,199 6.14 1,252 4.43 1,273 1.60 
			 Gloucestershire 415  435 4.77 423 -2.79 504 19.34 
			 Greater Manchester 2,749  2,612 -4.98 2,661 1.86 2,623 -1.42 
			 Hampshire 1,323  1,316 -0.56 1,331 1.16 1,381 3.74 
			 Hertfordshire 754  818 8.59 831 1.51 835 0.52 
			 Humberside 683  718 5.20 789 9.83 840 6.52 
			 Kent 1,141  1,384 21.27 1,470 6.24 1,582 7.63 
			 Lancashire 1,349  1,126 -16.57 1,143 1.53 1,198 4.84 
			 Leicestershire 667  755 13.15 774 2.56 802 3.61 
			 Lincolnshire 442  521 17.90 541 3.83 517 -4.42 
			 London, City of 324  347 7.07 334 -3.60 314 -6.17 
			 Merseyside 1,560  1,343 -13.93 1,502 11.89 1,356 -9.74 
			 Metropolitan Police 14,372  13,493 -6.11 12,432 -7.86 11,257 -9.46 
			 Norfolk 529  603 13.94 646 7.21 648 0.29 
			 Northamptonshire 511  554 8.32 577 4.25 587 1.65 
			 Northumbria 1,319  1,365 3.49 1,362 -0.18 1,443 5.94 
			 North Yorkshire 520  519 -0.12 543 4.51 541 -0.36 
			 Nottinghamshire 979  1,003 2.44 987 -1.64 1,039 5.33 
			 South Yorkshire 1,418  1,291 -8.99 1,243 -3.68 1,273 2.40 
			 Staffordshire 754  763 1.19 866 13.51 1,004 16.00 
			 Suffolk 485  522 7.63 583 11.73 594 1.79 
			 Surrey 754  727 -3.65 743 2.30 733 -1.38 
			 Sussex 1,131  1,149 1.52 1,185 3.16 1,393 17.56 
			 Thames Valley 1,738  1,825 5.01 1,827 0.09 1,799 -1.54 
			 Warwickshire 376  376 -0.09 398 5.88 406 2.17 
			 West Mercia 964  942 -2.24 975 3.45 975 0.06 
			 West Midlands 2,780  2,739 -1.49 2,817 2.85 2,652 -5.84 
			 West Yorkshire 2,037  2,234 9.71 2,304 3.14 2,216 -3.83 
			 Wiltshire 453  475 4.97 519 9.28 555 6.92 
			 Dyfed-Powys 310  322 4.04 341 5.78 341 0.24 
			 Gwent 378  452 19.74 477 5.49 487 2.12 
			 North Wales 512  476 -7.13 479 0.74 508 6.05 
			 South Wales 1,287  1,206 -6.30 1,132 -6.07 1,223 7.99 
			 NCS   275  
			 NCIS(7)   291  
			 Total England and Wales 52,933  53,011 0.15 52,975 -0.07 53,031 0.11 
		
	
	
		
			  Police force  2000  % change over previous year  2001( 5)  % change over previous year  2002  % change over previous year  2003( 6)  % change over previous year 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,436 0.78 1,452 1.13 1,611 10.97 1,785 10.83 
			 Bedfordshire 490 1.37 491 0.25 524 6.79 595 13.44 
			 Cambridgeshire 503 -14.17 614 22.18 733 19.24 786 7.26 
			 Cheshire 823 4.79 833 1.31 884 6.11 1,008 13.97 
			 Cleveland 595 7.71 586 -1.45 626 6.82 694 10.86 
			 Cumbria 469 6.19 588 25.25 631 7.41 676 7.03 
			 Derbyshire 826 0.98 875 5.93 953 8.96 1,061 11.25 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,343 10.53 1,453 8.18 1,639 12.80 1,834 11.90 
			 Dorset 686 -2.26 682 -0.59 741 8.57 793 7.06 
			 Durham 590 5.71 566 -4.18 660 16.75 602 -8.81 
			 Essex 1,348 5.94 1,447 7.32 1,571 8.61 1,682 7.05 
			 Gloucestershire 484 -4.05 506 4.45 545 7.77 590 8.23 
			 Greater Manchester 2,822 7.59 2,858 1.27 3,135 9.72 3,173 1.20 
			 Hampshire 1,443 4.52 1,482 2.67 1,597 7.78 1,720 7.71 
			 Hertfordshire 890 6.55 935 5.13 1,121 19.79 1,299 15.89 
			 Humberside 840 0.02 808 -3.84 816 0.95 880 7.85 
			 Kent 1,647 4.10 1,796 9.03 1,958 9.03 2,095 7.01 
			 Lancashire 1,422 18.67 1,369 -3.70 1,442 5.32 1,489 3.29 
			 Leicestershire 805 0.32 806 0.19 816 1.18 934 14.53 
			 Lincolnshire 516 -0.25 561 8.78 600 6.96 641 6.83 
			 London, City of 285 -9.08 233 -18.39 247 5.97 268 8.54 
			 Merseyside 1,458 7.54 1,418 -2.76 1,532 8.03 1,752 14.36 
			 Metropolitan Police 10,605 -5.79 10,040 -5.32 10,459 4.17 11,358 8.60 
			 Norfolk 655 1.01 694 5.92 819 18.04 924 12.89 
			 Northamptonshire 599 2.13 694 15.78 742 6.92 812 9.50 
			 Northumbria 1,417 -1.81 1,416 -0.09 1,403 -0.92 1,457 3.89 
			 North Yorkshire 492 -8.97 591 20.08 743 25.60 723 -2.70 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,024 -1.43 1,039 1.44 1,087 4.57 1,180 8.61 
			 South Yorkshire 1,391 9.25 1,312 -5.64 1,352 3.04 1,510 11.69 
			 Staffordshire 858 -14.55 935 8.94 1,030 10.15 1,146 11.30 
			 Suffolk 600 0.96 621 3.64 692 11.42 713 3.03 
			 Surrey 762 3.95 897 17.67 1,043 16.32 1,245 19.36 
			 Sussex 1,328 -4.71 1,454 9.53 1,507 3.62 1,578 4.73 
			 Thames Valley 1,786 -0.69 1,891 5.89 2,061 8.98 2,412 16.99 
			 Warwickshire 394 -2.94 412 4.40 459 11.54 503 9.55 
			 West Mercia 1,043 7.00 1,095 4.95 1,116 1.94 1,233 10.46 
			 West Midlands 2,695 1.63 2,819 4.61 3,007 6.65 3,012 0.17 
			 West Yorkshire 2,199 -0.80 2,228 1.32 2,364 6.11 2,538 7.36 
			 Wiltshire 563 1.49 622 10.45 649 4.30 703 8.24 
			 Dyfed-Powys 359 5.23 401 11.73 459 14.25 502 9.48 
			 Gwent 498 2.22 537 7.85 570 6.27 607 6.47 
			 North Wales 519 2.17 498 -4.10 645 29.51 703 9.04 
			 South Wales 1,081 -11.63 1,270 17.50 1,435 13.02 1,366 -4.79 
			 NCS 352 27.96 367 4.41 405 10.15 524 29.46 
			 NCIS(7) 287 -1.37 398 38.50 482 21.26   
			 Total England and Wales 53,227 0.37 54,588 2.56 58,909 7.92 63,105 7.12 
		
	
	
		
			  Police force  2004( 6)  % change over previous year  2005( 6)  % change over previous year  2006( 6)  % change over previous year  % overall change 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,004 12.24 2,005 0.05 2,080 3.74 71.45 
			 Bedfordshire 668 12.32 713 6.74 759 6.45 60.74 
			 Cambridgeshire 838 6.63 832 -0.72 898 7.93 69.53 
			 Cheshire 1,149 14.02 1,137 -1.04 1,170 2.90 69.68 
			 Cleveland 764 10.02 748 -2.09 697 -6.82 25.97 
			 Cumbria 705 4.34 730 3.55 732 0.27 79.50 
			 Derbyshire 1,131 6.63 1,165 3.01 1,109 -4.81 69.18 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,926 5.04 2,034 5.61 2,082 2.36 85.74 
			 Dorset 823 3.78 881 7.05 918 4.20 47.95 
			 Durham 600 -0.37 736 22.67 733 -0.41 38.17 
			 Essex 1,876 11.55 1,968 4.88 1,968 0.00 74.16 
			 Gloucestershire 642 8.88 663 3.27 694 4.68 67.23 
			 Greater Manchester 3,452 8.80 3,303 -4.32 3,352 1.48 21.94 
			 Hampshire 1,865 8.43 1,965 5.36 2,099 6.82 58.65 
			 Hertfordshire 1,408 8.41 1,414 0.43 1,489 5.30 97.56 
			 Humberside 979 11.27 1,034 5.62 1,097 6.09 60.68 
			 Kent 2,267 8.21 2,228 -1.72 2,292 2.87 100.89 
			 Lancashire 1,683 13.00 1,715 1.90 1,764 2.86 30.76 
			 Leicestershire 1,007 7.82 1,033 2.58 1,079 4.45 61.77 
			 Lincolnshire 657 2.51 678 3.20 677 -0.15 53.24 
			 London, City of 285 6.43 298 4.52 314 5.41 -3.09 
			 Merseyside 1,855 5.89 2,126 14.61 2,207 3.81 41.47 
			 Metropolitan Police 12,595 10.89 13,561 7.67 13,836 2.03 -3.73 
			 Norfolk 973 5.28 984 1.13 1,064 8.13 101.07 
			 Northamptonshire 874 7.64 973 11.33 1,010 3.80 97.65 
			 Northumbria 1,495 2.56 1,491 -0.25 1,665 11.67 26.25 
			 North Yorkshire 864 19.51 928 7.45 1,039 11.96 99.78 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,285 8.88 1,318 2.57 1,385 5.08 41.46 
			 South Yorkshire 1,583 4.83 1,729 9.22 1,853 7.17 30.68 
			 Staffordshire 1,255 9.52 1,325 5.58 1,305 -1.51 73.19 
			 Suffolk 789 10.61 813 3.04 853 4.92 75.82 
			 Surrey 1,352 8.62 1,472 8.88 1,541 4.69 104.38 
			 Sussex 1,811 14.77 1,950 7.69 1,994 2.24 76.23 
			 Thames Valley 2,620 8.65 2,611 -0.34 2,782 6.55 60.07 
			 Warwickshire 525 4.33 590 12.38 609 3.22 61.95 
			 West Mercia 1,391 12.80 1,492 7.26 1,563 4.76 62.19 
			 West Midlands 3,100 2.92 3,143 1.38 3,300 5.00 18.71 
			 West Yorkshire 2,776 9.39 3,016 8.65 3,183 5.54 56.30 
			 Wiltshire 764 8.74 811 6.16 851 4.93 88.03 
			 Dyfed-Powys 523 4.16 531 1.53 566 6.59 82.88 
			 Gwent 629 3.58 688 9.38 749 8.87 98.41 
			 North Wales 849 20.79 867 2.12 882 1.73 72.27 
			 South Wales 1,453 6.34 1,510 3.92 1,543 2.19 19.94 
			 NCS 603 15.08   779   
			 NCIS(7) 1   
			 Total England and Wales 68,693 8.86 71,209 3.66 74,563 4.71 40.86 
			 (1) Civilian Staff have been referred to as Police Staff since March 2003. Figures exclude Traffic Wardens, Police Community Support Officers and Designated Officers (s.38). (2) Total Strength is based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, because of rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between these totals and the totals in other tables. Figures exclude those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity unless otherwise stated. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 1996 transferred resources for the policing of the Rhmney Valley from South Wales Police to Gwent Police. (4) The National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad (NCS) were established and set up as independent bodies by the Police Act 1997 effective as of 1st April 1998. (5) Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan Police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces. (6) Strength figures as at 31 March 2003 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table. (7) NCIS were unable to provide figures as at 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.

Prisons

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have  (a) committed suicide and  (b) attempted to commit suicide in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested with respect to apparent self-inflicted deaths is shown in the table.
	There is no definition of what constitutes an attempted suicide, as it is very difficult to measure suicidal intent.
	
		
			   Type of death: Self-inflicted( 1) 
			 1996 65 
			 1997 68 
			 1998 83 
			 1999 91 
			 2000 81 
			 2001 73 
			 2002 95 
			 2003 94 
			 2004 95 
			 2005 78 
			 2006 (at 22 November 2006) 61 
			 (1 )Number of apparent self-inflicted deathsthis includes all deaths where it appears the individual acted specifically to take their own life, not only those that received a suicide or open verdict at inquest.  Note: Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available.

Prisons

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of prisoner against prisoner acts of violence were recorded in the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is provided in the table.
	Assaults in custody range from relatively minor ones where no injuries are sustained to very serious ones where the victim may be hospitalised and criminal charges follow. Assaults, particularly less serious ones, may also occur in the context of other incidents such as drug finds, etc. The information provided here reflects those incidents specifically reported as assaults by prisons on the Prison Service's Incident Reporting System.
	There are likely to be a number of different factors influencing the figures and it is not possible to attribute the changes to a single cause. The main reasons may be some combination of improved recording over the years, changes in the patterns of violent crime, population pressures placing extra burdens on staff and prisoners, and increases in stress-levels making violence more likely.
	
		
			   Assault category: Prisoner on prisoner 
			 2000 7,189 
			 2001 7,940 
			 2002 8,699 
			 2003 8,954 
			 2004 9,411 
			 2005 10,811 
			  Notes:  Table 1: IRS reported assaults 1. The table excludes assaults instigated by others e.g. visitors on staff. 2. These numbers are derived from the Prison Service Incident Reporting System (IRS). This systems processes high volumes of data and is being constantly updated. The numbers shown give a fair indication of the scale but should not be treated as absolute.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many escapes have occurred from prisons within the Metropolitan Police District in each year since 2000.

Tony McNulty: The information requested by the hon. Member is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Escapes from prison in the Metropolitan Police district area in each year since 2000 
			  Prison  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1) 
			 Belmarsh
			 Brixton   1 
			 Feltham  1  
			 Holloway
			 Latchmere House
			 Pentonville 1   
			 Wandsworth
			 Wormwood Scrubs
			 (1) Year to date  Note: The figures show escapes from establishments and exclude those under escort. Year to date figures include up to 22 November 2006.

Terrorism

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Get Safe Online website in protecting the public from e-terrorism.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	Get Safe Online gives independent, authoritative advice and information on how to keep safe whilst being able to reap the many benefits of the Internet.
	Research carried out last December identified 75 per cent., of people who were aware of the get safe online campaign said they would back-up their systems whilst only 50 per cent., of those who were unaware would take any action, demonstrating the initiative's effectiveness in protecting the public from online threats.